To Hell And Back
by belladonna78
Summary: Sequel to "Hell to Pay", and the fourth installment of my Supernatural fanfics. Check out my stories and AN for more info on where to start. This is Season 4 - How far will Beth and Sam go in order to save Dean's soul from Hell and be reunited with him? Dean/OC. Slightly AU but mostly follows the Supernatural show with my own spin. Rated M for smut. Please read and review!
1. Author's Notes

**AUTHOR'S NOTES – To Hell And Back (Season 4)**

This is the sequel to my previous story _Hell to Pay_ which covers Season 3 of Supernatural, and prior to that there are my stories _All Hell Breaks Loose_ & _Highway to Hell_ which cover Seasons 2 and 1 respectively. If you haven't read any of those yet, I suggest you start with _Highway to Hell_ because otherwise you're jumping into a story already in progress, and it will give you all the background you need to know about who Beth is and her story. (Plus, it's like several weeks (at least) worth of fun stories!)

This story picks up prior to the start of Season 4 – _Supernatural_. Beth and Sam are frantically trying to come up with a way to rescue Dean's soul from Hell while still dealing with their grief over his loss, and Dean faces an uncertain future full of misery and torture that never seems to end.

This is the story of Beth (O'Malley) Winchester, daughter of a minister, also a hunter who was friends with John Winchester. Although she was unaware of his 'other job', as a teenager, Beth found out the hard way about the things that are out there in the dark when she was possessed by a demon, an old foe of her father's, and forced to kill him by her own hand.

John rescued her, exorcised the demon, and took her in, teaching her the ways of hunting. She and Dean developed a relationship which they finally pursued against John's wishes, eventually gaining his blessing when she was nearly killed during a hunt. They have done everything together since they were teenagers, and now face eternity apart unless they can come up with a miracle, to what lengths will Beth go to see Dean again?

This is Supernatural as I think it should be written. :) In general, I follow the series, writing Beth into it as we go – that's right, I don't change the plots all that much, that's not what this is about. Some become flashbacks, some change a bit to fit with the storyline I am creating around Beth, and there is more and more original content being added as I go along: all in all I hope you enjoy the way I write it, and come back for more!

Please post a review if you're enjoying the writing – I love to get feedback, especially if it's nice! If you have songs you'd like to suggest for any particular episodes, do so, I love to add to my playlists :) Likewise if you have any ideas around storyline, episodes etc. feel free to suggest them, I may not go with your ideas (because I have a fair idea on where I am taking the characters and the show) but I will always listen respectively and give you my thoughts in return – and I love suggestions for oneshots or things you'd like to see included in the story. Let me know what you like about the story! Everyone's encouragement just inspires me to keep going with it :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, it's characters or any of the storyline that follows the show itself. Any changes to storyline and addition of characters (ie. Beth & Jefferson, just to name a couple) are all mine :)

The only OC I don't own is Cole Singer – she's a crossover from my friend EarthhAngel. Be sure to go check out her story _How To Save A Life _for some John Winchester focused writing, plus some early Dean & Beth back story :) It's been an absolute ball collaborating on that story and there's plenty more story to come!


	2. Even In Death

**AN: **Fair warning, somewhat graphic scenes of torture methods used in here, some readers may find them disturbing.

It's a shorter chapter than usual, but there's a few short stories to be told before I can get to Lazarus Rising - this is the first.

* * *

_Give me a reason to believe that you're gone  
I see your shadow so I know they're all wrong  
Moonlight on the soft brown earth  
It leads me to where you lay  
They took you away from me but now I'm taking you home_

_I will stay forever here with you_  
_My love_  
_The softly spoken words you gave me_  
_Even in death our love goes on_

_Some say I'm crazy for my love, Oh my love_  
_But no bonds can hold me from your side, Oh my love_  
_They don't know you can't leave me_  
_They don't hear you singing to me_

_And I can't love you, anymore than I do_  
_People die, but real love is forever._

* * *

**EVEN IN DEATH**

* * *

_**Beth's POV**_

Dean and I had never talked about what was going to happen after, perhaps we'd been in too much denial that it was ever going to pass, but mostly it was we'd been trying to make the most of every moment until the end that we couldn't indulge in that kind of talk.

I could barely move, my body weakened from days of not eating, of barely drinking. It had only been because Sam had forced me to drink cups of tea in the last day or so that I wasn't completely depleted. It hadn't been much, but it had been enough to keep me going, to warm me in the cold room.

Bobby looked at me with concern when I finally exited. He was pacing and looked like he was going to lecture me, but the look I shot him was clear. I would take no attitude for what I'd been through, what I was going through, and what was to come. No one knew what I was feeling, the emptiness I had inside.

It was night when I walked outside for the first time in over four days. I stared up at the stars twinkling overhead, remembering all the times Dean and I had done that – sitting on that Impala just enjoying the silence. Closing my eyes I prayed to my angel, to God, to whomever was listening for the strength to get through these next few moments; for the wisdom to make the right decisions for us all.

When I finally re-entered the building we'd been in I saw maps on the table and so I crossed to them, staring at the lines before me.

"Where are we?" I asked Sam, who was standing nearby, watching me closely.

"Mahomet, Illinois," he answered quietly, and I nodded. We'd traveled about three hours from Indiana then, if my calculations were correct. I didn't remember a moment of it, I was starting to wonder if any of this would come back to me in time.

Bobby came into the room carrying a simple pine box and I stared at it; the meaning of this item took a while to register in my brain, and when it did I had to fight off every urge in my body to run back into where Dean's body was and prevent anyone from touching him. I balled my fists by my sides and closed my eyes, wanting so badly to not think about what had to come next.

"We could take him to Mom..." Sam started but I shook my head.

"No, it can't be anywhere public, we need private, secluded, somewhere people aren't going to look for him," I said. I'd been giving it a lot of thought.

"Then where?" Sam asked. "Bobby's?"

"Might make him a target if we were to attract the attention of demons," I said, dropping my voice so Bobby couldn't hear. "We don't know what we're going to have to do in order to get him out."

Sam sighed and nodded.

"My mother's family has property near Pontiac, it's quiet, secluded, wooded – but also close to Route 66, to a road and civilisation. My uncle cares for it now and I know he'd never sell it because of my mom," the more I thought about it, the better the idea sounded.

Sam nodded, seeing the wisdom in keeping Dean close but not too close. I plotted a route to follow and the place where the property was, it had been a long time, but we'd camped there a lot when I was a young teen, I knew the way.

"Sam," Bobby's voice sounded from the doorway of the room where Dean currently was. "I'm gonna need your help."

I followed them into the room, hovering as they attempted to lift Dean into the box. He was heavy, or maybe we were all weak from grief and fatigue because they struggled to place him carefully in the box.

Sam took me by the arm and pulled me away before I could be lulled back to Dean's side, I watched as Bobby put the lid on.

"Don't seal it..." I said quietly. "Not yet."

He looked up at me, frustrated, but then nodded. When we had everything in Bobby's truck, I climbed in the passenger side, letting Sam take the Impala. It would only take an hour to reach our destination, and I wasn't chancing being separated and not seeing this job through.

Thankfully Bobby didn't try to make conversation on the way there, I closed my eyes and for the first time in days I slept.

The truck stopping woke me. Sliding out the door, I stretched and a yawn escaped me. I vaguely remembered a clearly beyond the initial entry to the property; with the lights from the truck and the half-full moon overhead, I could just see a narrow deer path to the green grass beyond the trees surrounding it.

Sam joined me, sliding his arm around my shoulders and tossed me a sad smile. I nodded toward the trees and looked up at him.

"Over there," I said quietly. He peered past the trees and nodded.

"Yeah, that's good," he agreed.

Bobby was watching us, pacing by the truck and rubbing at his face. He looked exhausted, like he had aged a decade in just a few days. I sighed and turned to the Impala, going for the shovels.

"We can do it," Sam said. I shook my head negatively and pulled them out.

Without waiting for the men I walked across the field, letting them bring Dean while I pushed through the underbrush to the clearing. It was large, and I looked up at the night sky. I was captivated by the light of the moon, staring up as I felt the soft ground beneath me, and I let it lead me to where I should dig, ending up almost in the dead centre of the clearing.

Something about having the path of the moon and sun overhead, the stars looking down appealed to me. I put one shovel on the ground and then looked at the earth beneath my feet, hesitating. Was I really going to do this?

I pulled myself deep within, withdrawing from the outer world, nothing but the task at hand in my mind. Putting foot to the shovel, I started to dig.

After a few moments Sam came with a couple of lanterns, placing them on the ground and then put his hand on my arm.

"Let me," he said. I nodded at the other shovel and he looked over at Bobby, the idea that they would do the digging clear in his eyes.

"No," I said, pausing and clinging to the shovel. "No, this is my job, he would do it for me."

Sam sighed and nodded, picking up the other shovel and shrugging at Bobby.

Within an hour we had the hole dug. I hoisted myself out of the cool earth and dusted my hands off, feeling completely exhausted from the physical effort after days of having just sat. I realised that I hadn't eaten in almost a week, I was surprised I was still even functioning.

Bobby and Sam brought the pine box over and sat it by the hole. Sam moved to get back in there so they could lower it but I grabbed his arm, searching his eyes.

"I need a moment," I said, and he nodded, kissing me on the forehead. The gesture, though well meant, brought tears to my eyes as I thought about all the times Dean had done that, how he had showered me with little moments of affection, now heart breaking in their tenderness.

"Okay," Sam said, nodding and moving away. He and Bobby walked together, back toward the vehicles and I fell to my knees beside the box. Pushing off the lid I stared down at Dean's face again, his lifeless body before me. He was pale in the moonlight and I shivered just looking at him.

Sam had closed his eyelids and it was a blessing not to have to see those hazel orbs staring out at me, devoid of life. I swallowed hard, suddenly lost for words, not knowing what to do. How could I just put him in the ground? How could I do any of this?

I stretched out a tentative hand and ran it along his cheek. He was so cold to the touch, nothing like I remembered, and it drove home my cold harsh reality. He was gone, and I was sitting and mourning a shell, a vessel for a soul that was now being tormented in Hell.

My throat ached as deep heart wrenching sobs fell from my lips and I pressed my forehead to his, letting my tears wash over his face. It was the first time I'd really cried since he'd been taken, the tears had been caught in my throat until now, unable to leave.

I don't know how long I sat there, but the moon watched unwavering in its light, cold and detached, just like I now had to become. Sam had returned, standing quietly beside me and waiting. I looked up at him finally and his eyes were filled with grief and loss, he was battling to keep it together.

"Okay," I said, nodding. I looked at Dean one more time and then felt for his hand, sliding his ring from his finger, it felt heavy in my hands. I slid it over my own ring, finding that it nested perfectly over my own with the size difference, now it was snug and safe on my finger.

I leaned in to kiss Dean's lips one more time, a single tear running down my cheek. "You come get this back off me, you hear?" I whispered, leaning my forehead to his.

Cole had found my father's rosary among John's things some time ago and sent it to me. I knew now what I was going to do with it. I had taken it out of the Impala before getting the shovels.

I slipped it around Dean's neck, looking at it quietly against his skin, and feeling my own – it's twin – hanging around my own neck, before taking the amulet he always wore from his neck.

Stroking a hand along his face, I felt a resolve coming to me, a quiet calm that started to surround me as I pushed down all the grief, the pain and the tears. I nodded at him, biting my lip and taking a deep breath.

"I love you," I said softly. "I'll see you soon."

I got up, sliding the amulet around Sam's neck and then walking away to let Sam and Bobby say their goodbyes. When they'd lowered the coffin in place, I returned, taking up the shovel again, glaring at Sam when he tried to take it from me.

"I can do it," I said. I had to do this. I had to see it through. With every bit of dirt that went in the ground, covering the pine box, and slowly filling the hole I felt my resolve toughen. Like a hard outer shell, everything went dull and lifeless, I now had one thing only on my mind.

"Now we hunt," I said to Sam as we finished the burial. He nodded, his own resolve showing clearly in his eyes.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

Lightning flashed around me, close and terrifying as I looked around at the millions of chains strung from the darkness beyond. There was no end to it, spiraling down into a pit of screams. Hooks pierced my shoulder and ribcage, my ankles and wrists. I'd never felt anything so painful as they pulled from all directions, I was impaled, and unable to move. "Help!" I screamed in the darkness, waiting for a reply. "Somebody help me!" The sickening feeling of flesh tearing with the pull of the chains gutted me, I screamed as I felt it rip from my side, opening up a gaping wound. "Help! Sammy! Beth!" I fought for breath, the pain almost unbearable, gasping every breath as blood flooded my mouth. The sound of my voice echoed emptily in the darkness, but still I screamed. "Beth!"

* * *

_**Seven Days Later  
Pasadena, California**_

**Beth's POV**

"Beth! Beth!"

Sam's voice quietly got my attention and I woke up with a start, finding myself lying against the cold, roughly hewn path we'd located that overlooked the reservoir. Catching my breath I sat up and looked around us. We were surrounded by tall cliffs fed down from the mountain above, all leading into a narrow S-shaped rocky defile.

"Sam..." I said wearily, rubbing my eyes. "You let me sleep?"

"You gotta sleep sometime," he said, handing me a hot coffee from one of the Thermos' we'd brought with us. I was surprised it had kept its heat since this morning, but grateful just the same.

"I don't mind the sleeping," I said, taking a sip of coffee and swallowing it. "It's the dreaming I wish would stop."

"Dean again?" He asked, looking at me as if he knew. I nodded silently.

"Well, maybe this will give us the access we need," he said, nodding toward a rocky outcropping below. For decades people had been disappearing in this area, never to be seen again.

Tonight was overshadowed, literally, with a full lunar eclipse, and we'd heard that a black arts group of people would be arriving to try and open the gate, releasing more demons into the world. They were idiots and had no idea what they were doing, likely they were going to get themselves killed.

Jo had told Sam about this place during the wedding, apparently they'd done a lot of talking. This was where her father had been killed when John and he had gone after a Hellspawn. It was a Devil's Gate, but it wasn't active all the time. Arriving in Pasadena to look into it as a possible way to get Dean back, we'd heard about the ritual to take place tonight.

"There," Sam said, pointing to a flickering light to the side of us. Coming in from the lower level along a walking path for the reservoir were nine people in dark cloaks, their faces hidden by cowls. I frowned and gathered my things to me – holy water and my sidearm stocked with rock salt. They wouldn't kill a demon, but would slow them down, and they were the best we had. Sam had Ruby's knife, the only real weapon against anything that might come out of that Gate, and the only asset we had if we were going in.

Slipping my knapsack on to my back I crouched in the darkness, watching as the group came to a stop in front of a huge funnel-like convergence from the mountain's runoff field. This was where the gate was said to be.

The eclipse would be starting in fifteen minutes, they were cutting it close. Sam and I moved silently to our feet. He lowered me down a level by laying on the ground and hanging over the ledge slightly, my hand clasped in his own before dropping me carefully to the hard earth below.

I paused when I landed, waiting to see if we'd drawn any attention. We hadn't and I nodded up at Sam who I could see in the light of the full moon. He wriggled over the edge and lowered himself slowly, his height a greater advantage than mine, and he didn't have far to drop.

We didn't know what to expect, whether this coven knew what they were doing or not, but it was worth the risk, because if we were lucky they might get lucky, and that meant that we could save them from a world of hurt while at the same time gaining access to where we needed to be.

The sky started to darken, and the blood red of the eclipse started to cross the face of the moon, edging it's way to the centre. I swallowed hard, watching as the ritual began. Satisfied that they were thoroughly distracted, Sam and I inched our way around the circle and into the camping grounds nearby.

The Reservoir was a holiday destination for summer camps and families alike. There were many well tended lawns and areas being prepared for the onslaught of families on vacation in a few weeks time.

The tree line gave us a good vantage point now that we knew the group's location, and we belly crawled up to the edge, watching. Sam scowled as some of the incantations worked their way back to us.

"Idiots. They're summoning a host of demons?" He asked, shaking his head. "What do they think is gonna happen, they're gonna be friends?"

I shrugged and zeroed in on one of the women in particular that was drawing my attention. She had long strawberry blonde hair and when she looked up I couldn't see any whites in her eyes. The sickness in my stomach made sense now that I saw her.

"I don't think they know what they're doing. Other than... that one," I said, pointing the woman out.

"Demon?" He asked, looking at me.

"Yeah," I said with a nod.

Sam sighed and nodded, gripping the knife in his hand as we set about waiting.

Eclipses aren't fast by any stretch of the imagination, and I found my mind wandering as we waited for the next phase of the ritual to begin.

I thought about Dean and what he must be going through. The dreams were lessening in frequency, but they still came every night to torment me. I wanted to shut them out of my mind, to remember Dean as I had memorised his face: soft, smiling, and always ready to kiss me. Instead, all I saw was the anguished cries of a tortured man and it was killing me.

The eclipse peaked finally and we saw the blonde demon step into the circle of worshipers. She smiled and waved one of the girls forward. The girl, who looked like she was barely eighteen, stepped forward hesitantly. Without warning the woman withdrew a kriss knife from the folds of her cloak and plunged it into the heart of the girl, drawing a shocked gasp from the rest of the people gathered.

"Oh dammit!" I muttered, moving to get up but Sam stilled me, a hand on my arm. I looked at him, frowning.

"She's already dead, there's nothing we can do," he said quietly, his eyes dark and determined. I bit my lip, struggling with that statement.

The people started to panic as the girl spluttered in her own blood, falling to the ground.

"With this sacrifice, we call forward the Seven! Come! Join us!" The woman called out. "Let your sins be of this world again!"

"Oh shit," Sam cursed, looking anxiously at me. We'd met these guys before. The portal opened and we moved up to the group, hoping to head off the onslaught before it began. We'd already poured salt along the path, leaving open the obvious access points for the expected party, just in case, now we sealed it off from our end and moved quietly in the dark to where the Devil's gate was shimmering in the rock face.

A swirling mix of colours descended from the gate into the people standing as they started to run and scream. In the panic I managed to seal off the rest of the salt ring and prayed that it was going to hold as the wind picked up from the atmospheric changes caused by the portal.

The people stopped screaming and looked around, salacious grins starting to accent their faces. Sam and I exchanged panicked looks, standing back from the circle, he had the knife ready in case, but we really didn't want to have to kill anyone if we could get out of it, one dead already was bad enough.

"Do you really think you can hold me in a salt ring?" A man asked, turning arrogant eyes to Sam. "_Me?" _

"Hello Pride," Sam smirked, "well, we weren't expecting the seven of you, in fact, didn't we… kill … some of you?"

Furious eyes turned to us and a young girl stepped forward, scowling. "We had to make some replacements, thanks to your little stunt," she said, eying off the knife in Sam's hands. "We won't make the same mistake again."

"No, you won't, because you're not staying here," I said, starting the exorcism. "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii..."

The wind picked up again and I saw the salt starting to shift on the ground, we were running out of time. Three demons came to stand in front of me and laughed, watching as the salt drew thinner and thinner.

"Sam…"

"Keep going," he urged.

"Omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica, ergo, draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica, adjuramus te, cessa decipere humanas creaturas…" I didn't get any further. The salt broke and the three rushed me. I rolled to the side as Sam stabbed one in the throat with the knife, swinging around and connecting in the stomach with the other. The third, the girl who had started the whole ritual in the first place jumped me, hitting my forehead into the ground painfully.

I groaned and then she was lifted off me, tossed across a line of low-lying bushes by someone. I looked up, confused and then saw cheeky blue eyes look at me with a grin before I was kicked in the stomach and a man got his hands on me.

"Jefferson!" I exclaimed breathlessly as I hit a tree, the man pinning me there.

"Hey princess, miss me?" He asked, grabbing another demon and tossing her in the direction of the other one behind the bushes. I didn't have time to respond as I felt a rippling sensation wash over me and I stared into the black eyes of the demon holding me.

Jefferson found himself jumped by another demon and they wrestled, each trying to gain the upper hand while Sam was in a standoff with the remaining two, knife held out in front of him.

"You can't live without me," the man said to me and his eyes faded to green, I blinked, swearing that I'd just seen Dean, but then he was gone and I groaned from the pain in my shoulder where a branch was digging in.

"No," I whimpered, pushing at the demon and realising that Dean and I had taken it out together the last time.

"Remember me sweetheart? You tried to drown me in a bathtub," he said with a lick along my face. "I've got better things planned for you," he promised. "Let's start with how you deal with the guilt of lusting after someone other than your lover."

He touched my face and I fought it so hard, but he was strong. My heart skipped a beat and my stomach tightened as I looked over to where Sam had just stabbed another demon. Jefferson laughed, finally getting the upper hand on the demon he was tussling with; throwing her in the same direction he had the others. I had a moment to wonder why the others were just standing there watching us, but then it was awash with burning desire as I watched Jefferson move.

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to look away and the demon holding me laughed. "You're not strong enough," he whispered in my ear.

"Maybe not, but I am," Sam's voice said from behind. He'd moved behind and held the knife to the throat of the demon, pulling him back off me. I fell to the ground without the support of the other man, a legless heap of raging hormones, my body itching to be touched.

"Sam! Over here!" Jefferson called, and pointed to the other demons. Sam looked questioningly and then laughed when he got to the bushes.

"Nice," he said with an approving nod.

I looked up curiously, managing to crawl to my feet and stumbled over to another tree, seeing that Jefferson had drawn a devil's trap on the earth with red spray paint. It was this which was keeping the demons penned.

"Never a dull moment with you Winchesters, that's for sure," he said with a short laugh and it rippled through my whole body in a mesmerising melody. I shuddered, pushing it back, pulling into my mind Dean's face, and his torment, wanting to shut out any lustful feelings I might be experiencing. I fell to the ground again, curling my legs in front of me and wrapping my arms around them. Lust looked over and snickered.

"Beth!" Jefferson said, moving toward me.

"No!" Sam said, cutting in. "No… don't… she's been touched by Lust," he said. "Don't trigger her into something she doesn't want to do."

Jefferson looked conflicted, but let me stay on the ground, turning back to the demons. I forced back the feelings running wild in me and got to my feet, avoiding the boys. It wasn't just Jefferson I was feeling them for and there was nothing more distressing than wanting to suddenly take a bite out of Sam. The Devil's Gate was still spinning behind us and I looked. We were so close.

"We have to go," I said, looking at the bodies of the dead demons on the ground. "Now."

"Wait," Sam said, looking at the gathered demons.

"Sam…"

"They might have information for us," he said, shaking his head.

"And they might not! That gate isn't going to stay open forever!" I said, looking up as the eclipse started to wane.

"You won't survive ten minutes in there," the woman who had initiated the ritual said, coming to stand at the edge of the trap.

"We'll see," Sam said cockily.

"Sam!" I snapped. "We're wasting time!" I headed for the gate but Jefferson grabbed my arm. A feeling of intense longing rushed along the skin and I felt areas tense that shouldn't tense for anyone but Dean.

"Don't!" I said, pulling away. "Don't touch me!"

Jefferson looked at me conflicted and then nodded. "Sorry. Just… don't go rushing off Beth, we need answers."

"I need Dean!" I said. "I already have all the answers I need from this lot, and there's a damn door _right there!" _

The girl laughed at my distress and I felt anger boil in my blood.

"We'll see who's laughing when you're sent back to Hell," I said. I started reciting the exorcism again and they screamed in pain, grasping their heads.

"Beth, stop!" Sam said, grabbing me. I shook him off, continuing to recite the incantation.

"Send me back; I'll only have more fun down there now I've seen what I've seen; now I know who is down there. I hadn't heard…" Lust said, stepping forward when I paused for breath. I froze, looking at the boys.

"Kill him," I said to Sam, glancing down at the knife in his hand.

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"Sam!"

"No, you said it yourself, we're not taking any innocent lives unless forced to," he said adamantly. I stared into the eyes of the man in front of me. They were green, like Dean's, and I felt frustrated tears come up.

"Do it and you'll be sorry…" he said in a sing-song voice.

"I adjure you…if I see you up here again, I don't care if you're possessing the Pope himself, I'll kill you," I said with a glare, starting up the exorcism again. "adjuramus te cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare ut ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos!"

With the final words, smoke poured from the mouths of the innocent, naive people who had been possessed and then sank into the ground. "I'm sorry Dean," I said softly, and then I turned to the gate.

"Let's go!"

"Uh, guys…" Jefferson said, looking back to where the original group had been. The girl who had been sacrificed suddenly stood, looking at us with black eyes and smirked, shaking her head.

"In hac autem, claudite ostium, et signavit Luciferi!" She uttered toward the gate.

"No!" Sam yelled, realising what she was doing as the final words _shut the door _and _set a seal of Lucifer _rang across to us. Sam moved quickly, but not quick enough as the eclipse finished, the full moon now hanging brightly in the sky once more and the portal into Hell closed with the words spoken from the demon now possessing the dead body of the sacrificed woman. I looked from where the gate had been to the demon, but she was gone, one moment there, the next faded into the darkness from which she had come. And our opportunity was gone with her.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

Three years. I'd already been down here three years and it seemed as if no end was in sight. I was so thirsty, the latest game of Alistair's being to give me nothing but salt water, he thought it ironic that we were in an inferno and yet the one thing torturing me was the ice cold sea water he was force feeding me. My skin felt like it would shrivel off my bones, and it probably would eventually. I'd certainly seen more than one way to skin a cat in my time here; unfortunately I'd been the cat on all occasions.

Suddenly through the heat haze a woman walked, a shimmering sheer robe hanging from her curves, her familiar curves. I looked up as hands took hold of my face, lifting my face gently. It was something I hadn't had in a long, long time and I'd almost forgotten how it felt to be caressed softly.

"Dean…" Beth's voice washed over me and I blinked. It couldn't be her. But then... Lilith had killed me, there'd been no talk about what had happened to Sam and Beth, maybe she'd killed them and dragged them down here too?

My throat and mouth were so dry I couldn't even speak, I tried to lick my cracked and broken lips, but my tongue was just as dry. She held up a glass of water to my mouth and I drank greedily from it, sighing with relief from the coolness washing down my throat.

"Beth," I whispered hoarsely, barely believing my eyes.

"Come on, we have to get you out of here," she said, pulling at the bonds that were holding me strapped to some ancient rack that looked like it belonged in a house of tortures. Well, it did, and it fit right in here.

Just as I got my first hand free she shrieked and was pulled from me by one of Alistair's henchmen.

"No!" I yelled, it came out hoarse and broken, I'd screamed so much in the last few years I could barely get any noise out now. But give it time and Alistair would come up with some other way to make me yell. He'd just found one.

The henchmen held Beth around the mouth so she couldn't make a noise, and she struggled to no avail. Alistair stepped around and into view with an amused look on his face, turning to another newcomer.

"I told you," the other said, smirking at me. Demons, they didn't all look human down here, it was hard to describe them. Sometimes they took the form of humans, sometimes they took their true forms, and this varied to great degrees.

This beast was a giant, with a bulging penis hanging between his legs, half erect and evident from the lack of clothing he wore. He was deformed and looked as if he'd been pulled from a furnace, burn scars all over his body. He turned to grin at me, a cackle rising from his throat.

I closed my eyes and when I opened them Alistair was peering at me in curiosity. "So what? This is the part where I get prison treatment?" I asked, shuddering at the thought.

"Oh no my friend, definitely not, I could never be so … crass…"

"Yeah right," I muttered.

"But your wife on the other hand… I don't know that she's going to get out of things that easily," he said and Beth's eyes widened in horror. I struggled against the bonds holding me, my one freed wrist now firmly attached to the rack again by another demon during the initial melee.

"Don't… I'll kill you … I swear to God!"

"Get off the rack," he said, looking at me patiently. "Do it to her yourself," he offered. I shook my head. I couldn't… I wouldn't do what he wanted to another soul, because it wasn't just sex he was talking about.

Beth was forced to her knees next to the demon and he yanked her head back with a hand full of hair. In the back of my mind I knew it wasn't her, it couldn't be her, but part of me doubted. Part of me wondered if this wasn't a doomed rescue, and now she would be stuck down here with me too.

I closed my eyes as the creature forced himself into her mouth and she whimpered.

"Make him watch!" Alistair ordered a couple of his henchmen and I felt unspeakable pain as my eyelids were pulled open. "Watch or I'll have them cut off," he said with an evil smile. I glared at him, but relented, turning to the scene that was growing even more horrible by the second. I forced myself to watch, to shut something down inside of me that screamed at me to do something, to stop it, to get off the rack. But I couldn't do it. It wasn't her, it couldn't be her.

As the beast had his way with what looked like Beth, I grew firmer in my resolve, it wasn't her. But God it pained me to look at the woman even knowing that. Every fiber in my body was struggling to kill the demon and save her from her torment.

Eventually the ruse faded and the image of Beth with it, to reveal just another soul, one damned to this torment as I was. She was bloody and beaten, lying on the rocky floor beneath her after the demon was spent. Brown eyes that could have been Beth's looked up at me and she whimpered. "Please help me," she whispered and I swallowed, biting my lip. I couldn't help myself, let alone anyone else.

"Interesting," Alistair said with a smirk, walking past me. "Just so you know, our dear friend Lust here, had a run-in with your beautiful wife. But she didn't succeed in getting where she wanted to go, shame that. No doubt she'll try again though, you Winchesters are nothing if not stubborn," he walked away. "Take her away, do with her what you will for now, but I think we'll have a few more of those shows… even after he had convinced himself it wasn't her, he still doubted. He doesn't like to watch it regardless of whether it's her or not."

I groaned, leaning back on the rack. At least I'd had some actual water, of course that was fading fast as the heat seemed to kick up a degree or ten. I at least had some news. Regardless of how long I'd been down here, Beth, and I presumed Sam, were alive, and they were still looking for a way to get me out of here. All I had to do was hold on a little longer.

* * *

_**3 days later  
Malibu, California**_

**Beth's POV**

I woke up with my skin crawling, gasping for air and Sam reached out for me in the fading darkness from the stretcher next to the couch.

"You okay?" He asked and I nodded, sitting up and taking his hand in mine.

"Yeah, yeah…" I muttered, running a hand through my hair. I didn't want to tell him I'd just watched Dean get eaten alive by scarab beetles, almost an identical scene to something out of _The Mummy _only slower, so much slower, taking days. The screams had been shattering.

"You want to talk about it?"

"No," I said quickly, shaking my head. Sam sighed and looked at me, worry in his eyes. "I'm okay, thanks," I added a little softer.

I squeezed his hand again and then stood up, moving over to the kitchen of Jefferson's penthouse suite to get a soda from the fridge. Walking out on to the balcony overlooking the twinkling city lights of Malibu, I paused and took a long drink.

_They're just dreams, _I told myself, _they're not real. _It was simply the byproduct of an over active imagination and watching too many horror shows with Dean. Which made me think that what was happening to him was probably far worse than anything I could dream up, and that sent a shiver down my spine as I grasped the railing tightly until my knuckles went white. _Don't think about it. You're no good to him if you can't set this aside and do the job._

I picked up my drink again and went inside. Sam was awake now, making coffee in the kitchen. I sat down at Jefferson's desk and flipped open his laptop, staring at the screen.

"Hmmm," I said, looking at the password protection.

"hamsterdance," Jefferson's voice sounded behind me.

"Huh?" I said, turning around and looking at him in surprise.

"The password," he said, leaning against the wall with a smirk. "hamsterdance."

"Oh," I said with a grin, turning back to the computer and typing it into the screen. "Interesting…"

"Haven't you ever seen that? It's like iconic from the time before Google… probably. I don't know. But it's hilarious," he said with a chuckle. I shook my head, staring at the wallpaper of a thousand moving hamsters.

"You never fail to surprise me," I said.

"What you looking up?" Sam asked as he started making breakfast, my stomach stirred at the thought of eggs and bacon, I hadn't eaten for days, but at the same time it seemed wrong to be eating while Dean was in Hell. _Stop it, _I told myself, _he would want you to go on living, to go on fighting, and to get him the heck out of Hell, you can't do that if you die from starvation!_

"Uh, I don't know yet. You think maybe we should look for the Colt to try and open the Devil's Gate in Wyoming again?"

"Beth, don't you think this time was bad enough?" Jefferson asked, frowning.

"Well, we have to think of something!" I snapped.

"And we will!" Sam said, leaving the food and coming over to sit next to me. I inched away a little. I was still feeling the after effects of Lust's touch after three days and it was making my skin crawl whenever I was around them, yet I didn't want to be alone either.

"What if we summon the crossroads demon?" I asked, refusing to give up.

"And offer them what?!" Jefferson asked. "You going to give up your soul this time for Dean?"

"Maybe!"

"Well that's just stupid!" He snapped back, eyes flashing angrily at me. "You think he'd thank you for doing that?"

"I don't care!" I yelled back at him. "At least it wouldn't be him down there screaming for us to help him, getting sliced and diced and God knows what else they're doing to him!" I stopped, gasping for a breath as tears caught in my throat.

"Guys!" Sam interceded, "come on, this isn't helping. Beth, you know Dean wouldn't want that... it's the whole reason he made the deal in the first place, so you wouldn't end up down there."

"It's also why I can't just leave him down there, it was my deal Sam... mine," I said, shaking my head. I stood up and walked out on to the balcony again, the town was starting to wake up, although in truth it never really slept, but the tourists were out now, scurrying about on the streets below us.

Hands found my shoulders and for a brief moment I allowed myself to think it was Dean, leaning back into them. Then I forced myself to remember, and pulled away.

"Beth..." Jefferson said, leaning against the railing and crossing his arms. "You know, I promised you I wouldn't keep bugging you, checking how you're doing, and all the rest."

"I know, and thank you," I said, closing my eyes. I was sick to death of all the phone calls from Bobby, Cole and Lisa... even Jo and Ellen. How did they think I was doing? What did they expect from me? Did they just want me to give up and start grieving, let him go? I didn't want to talk about my feelings, I didn't want to talk at all unless it meant putting a plan in place. The only people who so far had honoured that were Jefferson and Sam, and for the latter it was more because he was in exactly the same place I was.

"But it was on the proviso you don't go and do anything stupid and suicidal, that you don't just give up," Jefferson continued. I looked at him and sighed, nodding.

"Yeah, okay," I said softly.

"I promise you, we will get him out of there," he said, looking at me resolutely.

"Yeah, okay."

"I think we need to start by looking for Lilith," he said, and I glanced at him surprised. He snickered. "Don't look at me like that, I've been doing this a Hell of a lot longer than any of you, I have game plans too you know." I smiled and nodded.

"And, much as it pains me, I think the first place we start looking is exactly where you suggested..." Jefferson said as Sam stepped out on the balcony to join us.

"The crossroads," I said.

"Yeah, the crossroads," he said with a sigh. "Have some breakfast, and I'll take you to somewhere that is fairly secluded, we won't be interrupted by random travellers."

"Speaking of breakfast," Sam said with a raised eyebrow. "It's ready." I smiled again, my stomach rumbling. Man I was hungry!

* * *

_**Dean's POV**_

The rag in my mouth was soaked again so rapidly I thought I might pass out from the very fear of what was going to happen next. I fought it, trying to constrict my throat so that I wouldn't take the water in, so that I could still breathe. It was a pointless endeavour. No matter how many times they did this to me it always ended up the same. Panic overcame me and my breathing became erratic, all I could see what Sammy's face in front of me, and he was smiling down on me, and I had to keep going for him. I had to keep him safe. My lungs burned from the lack of oxygen as I gulped down the water being poured into my mouth, trying to keep it from my lungs. I was drowning. I would die soon, and it would all begin again. Why I fought it every time I didn't know, must be that Winchester stubbornness that Alistair kept talking about. I screamed in agony through the very rag in my mouth as my ulna snapped from the pressure of trying to escape the bonds holding me to the rack.

"That's enough," Alistair's voice said and instantly it stopped and the rag was removed.

"Get up off the rack, Dean. Do yourself a favour. Nobody cares what you're doing down here. They all get off the rack eventually."

"Never," I said adamantly, my voice hoarse and sore.

Alistair smiled cruelly and nodded at the two demons hovering over me. "Have it your way."

"No... no!" I fought the restraints as once again the rag was forced over my mouth and the water started being poured down my throat again, my stomach became distended with bloat, and I screamed from the pain as the barbed wire wrapped around me dug in, splitting me open and spilling blood, water and bile across the floor. The water entered my lungs as I screamed; I spluttered, gasping for air and then mercifully passed out.

* * *

_**Crossroads  
Present Day**_

**Beth's POV**

We were going to draw a large devil's trap over the entire road and then summon the demon, but Jefferson said it wasn't necessary. I frowned at him, but he refused to elaborate. When the demon arrived, it was in the body of a pretty Paris Hilton wannabe, smiling until she saw Sam and me. Her eyes flashed red, and she scowled.

"Well I was going to say hello... but it seems I don't need to sell you on anything," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"We want information," Sam said, stepping toward her.

"And why should I give you information?" She asked, circling him and looking him up and down. "What's in it for me handsome?"

"Oh, you tell us what we want to know and we promise not to kill you," Sam said with a smile.

"Really?" She asked, looking at him and walking straight up to him. "Nothing to... sweeten the pot? A girl can get awful lonely out here you know," she said.

"Now now," Jefferson said, stepping out from where he'd been watching this all unfold. "You might make a man insecure with talk like that."

She sighed and turned to face him. "Jefferson, darling. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"You know her?" I asked incredulously, looking at Jefferson.

"We've...crossed paths," Jefferson said with a smile, looking at the demon.

"That's putting it mildly," she said with a grin.

"Okay, I don't want to know..." I said, shaking my head. "Can you help us or not?"

"The question should be ... _will I help you, _Beth. Not can."

"How do you know who I am?" I asked suspiciously.

"Because everyone knows who you are ... the great Mrs Winchester... on some wild crusade to free her husband from Hell. Accompanied by her equally as fanatical and just as dashing brother. Why you don't just upgrade and move on is beyond me," she said with a shrug, giving Sam a hungry look.

"Enough," Jefferson said tiredly. "Will you give us the information we need? I have payment." I looked at him in shock, bargaining, with demons no less?

"Our usual deal?"

Jefferson nodded and she looked at him curiously.

"I'd love to help you darling, you know I would. But I'm afraid there's been strict instruction to everyone. No one is to deal with the Winchesters. Not me, not the gatekeepers, not even the warlords themselves. Dean is to stay where he is," she said.

"Why?" Jefferson asked.

"Why not?"

"There's always a price, why is this one not on the table?" He asked.

She sighed and crossed her arms. "I don't know, I just know he's important to someone down there, and he's being kept from the tour in solitary confinement... for the most part... enjoying some of Hell's more intimate experiences." I shuddered, I didn't want to think about what that could mean, especially if it was anything like my dreams.

"Come on Altea, we go a long way back..." Jefferson said. "Give me some real information." He walked up to her, standing right in her face and she almost looked sad when she lifted her face to him.

"If I thought I wouldn't end up in the same place Dean is I would, for old times' sake, but I'm not going there. They've taken several of my ... colleagues ... in there in recent times and none of them have emerged yet."

Jefferson let out a frustrated sigh and ran a hand over his head. "We need to get at Lilith," he said, looking in her eyes.

"You'll have little chance of that, she's playing it close to home," she volunteered, "that much I can tell you."

"How close?"

"Fire and brimstone close," she replied. "She's spooked, boy wonder over here has her worried. But it won't be forever, she's plotting, biding her time and recovering."

"Is there anyone who can help us?" I asked, stepping forward and looking at her.

"Look, sweetheart, I feel for you, I do. But you should let him go, he's lost to you now, ain't nothing or no one in Hell that's going to help you out, not unless they have a death wish," she looked at me, her eyes cold and detached and I growled, walking away.

"She's like her mother," Altea remarked with a smirk and Jefferson hit her before I could spin around to stare.

"How does she know about my mother?" I asked, and Sam looked at her stunned.

"Because I was there the day she died," she said, standing up and rubbing her cheek.

"Liar," I whispered, tears brimming in my eyes. "My mother died in a car crash."

"Did she now?"

Jefferson was watching me, concerned look in his eyes, placing himself between us, a little closer to me. Sam frowned and moved closer to the demon, drawing out the knife. She looked at it and stepped back.

"I'm not lying," she said. "Threaten me all you want."

"Of course she's lying," I said. "That's what demons do."

"Tell us where Lilith is, no lies," Sam said, holding the knife up.

"Sam..." Jefferson ventured forward with a warning tone.

"No, Jefferson, either you're on our side, or hers, pick one," he snapped, looking at him. Jefferson stopped and looked insulted, shaking his head.

"You won't get any information out of her, but by all means kill the only friendly contact we have with Hell," he said, waving his arm in the air.

Sam hesitated and then looked at me, I was watching the demon carefully.

"Please," I said, stepping up to her and she looked surprised at the word. "Please, I'm begging you, if you know something, just... just tell us."

A moment passed and we all stood looking at her, she looked at me thoughtfully and then over at Jefferson.

"You'll owe me double, and if things get out, you never heard this from me." Jefferson nodded.

She sighed and crossed her arms, looking at me. "Hope, Colorado," she said, turning to Jefferson. "The site of the old Fore Inn, you remember?" He nodded. "There's a Devil's Gate near there, but you won't be able to open it. You'll need the help of a spirit, you'll find him there... goes by the name Hunter, has a big black dog. I wouldn't mention you're a Winchester though," she said with a smirk.

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Because your Daddy killed him," she said with a grin, turning to walk away. "But who knows. Maybe he'll help, and maybe he won't. That's all I got, take it or leave it."

"We'll take it," Jefferson muttered, turning to me and I nodded.

"Thank you," I said to her retreating back.

"Thank me for what?" She asked, pausing to look back. "I didn't help you with anything." And then she was gone with a gust of wind, leaving the three of us to look at each other.

"Hope," I said, looking down at my hands and the wedding rings nestled together on my finger. "Seems kind of ironic."

"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love." Jefferson said and I smiled.

"Corinthians again?" I asked, looking up at him. He nodded and grinned at me cheekily.

"Well it is one of the best," he said with a shrug.

Sam shook his head at us and started back toward the Impala, the knife dangling at his side. I watched him go and then sighed softly. Well if love was the greatest of all, then maybe we had half a chance at winning this race.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

* * *

Song for this chapter is: _Even in Death _by Evanescence

* * *

Hope you enjoyed reading! Welcome to the first installment of Season 4. We have a few more original pieces and a _Ghostfacers _flashback to go until we hit _Lazarus Rising_, but it is coming! Thanks for coming along for the ride :)

* * *

Don't forget we have a Facebook page if you're interested. Just do a search for Dean & Beth Supernatural Fanfic and it should come up, or PM me and I'll get you the URL via email, unfortunately Fanfiction doesn't allow direct links.

* * *

I'm always on the look out for people who have skill with making fan videos – if you can do this and are interested in collaborating on a Dean& Beth video please let me know! I'd love you forever!

* * *

Please make my day and leave a review :D You know I love it! (And most of the time I even write back!)


	3. Ghosts

**A/N: **It's not _quite _a replication of _Ghostfacers, _instead it's Dean & Beth's take on what happened, some of it on film, some of it not, and a few backstories

* * *

_All my friends tell me I should move on_  
_I'm lying in the ocean, singing your song_  
_Ahhh, that's how you sang it_  
_Loving you forever, can't be wrong_  
_Even though you're not here, won't move on_  
_Ahhh, that's how we played it_

_And there's no remedy for memory your face is_  
_Like a melody, it won't leave my head_  
_Your soul is haunting me and telling me_  
_That everything is fine_  
_But I wish I was dead_

_Every time I close my eyes  
It's like a dark paradise  
No one compares to you  
I'm scared that you won't be waiting on the other side_

* * *

**GHOSTS  
(3 months ago)**

* * *

_**Cicero, Indiana  
3 months ago**_

**Beth's POV**

"Wow…" Lisa said from where she was sitting across the table from us. "You guys left a message a little over a week ago and now…" she chuckled and shook her head, waving at us. Dean grinned and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, kissing my forehead. His left hand was tangled with mine on the table and I was still, after a week, staring at our rings together. I still had a little bit of a hard time believing any of it had happened.

I looked at Lisa, feeling a little guilty that she'd been away and hadn't been able to make it to the impromptu wedding; we hadn't been able to raise her on the phone and had decided not to wait even though we'd both wanted her and Ben to be there.

"Well, you know, you snooze you lose," Dean said and Lisa snorted, raising an eyebrow.

"Really Dean? Well it's a good thing you didn't snooze any longer… how long did you wait to pop the question?" She asked, leaning forward on the table. Dean looked a little chagrined and chuckled, looking apologetically at me. I smiled and stood up, taking my cup over to the sink and rinsing it.

"I still don't understand what the big hurry was about," she said, shaking her head. "It couldn't have waited a week?" I leaned back against the bench and Dean and I exchanged a look of trepidation.

"What?" Lisa asked, seeing Dean's expression from in front of her. She turned to look at me and I glanced down at my hands briefly before looking up at her.

"There's uh… there's more that we need to tell you," I said softly and she started to look worried.

"Are you all right? You're not sick?" She asked, looking from me to Dean. I shook my head and returned to my seat.

"No, we're not sick, but …"

"You remember when we ran into you, like, almost a year ago?" Dean asked, and Lisa nodded. "Remember how we said we had some stuff going on…and it would be good to get to know Ben?"

Lisa paled a little and looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Well?"

"It kind of relates to all that… strange stuff we do," Dean said.

"Oh."

"Lisa, we didn't tell you sooner because we were hoping that we could find a way out of it, but…" I paused, not knowing how to say it, not wanting to admit that we were down to the eleventh hour and fading fast.

"What? What aren't you telling me?" Lisa asked, frowning.

Dean looked uncomfortably at me and I could tell he didn't want to be here for this conversation, he had a hard enough time talking about it with me. I smiled and nodded toward the backyard where Ben was playing with a ball.

"Why don't you go spend some time with Ben?" I said and he breathed a sigh of relief, almost jumping up from the table and racing out the door.

Lisa turned to me, sighing. I bit my lip and felt the tears come into my eyes unbidden. "What the hell is going on?" She asked, looking confused.

* * *

_**1 Week Earlier  
Appleton, Wisconsin**_

**Beth's POV**

I was still sulking by the time we got to the old Morton House, Dean was dealing with it by ignoring me and playing _We're An American Band _up really, really loud. He slowed down and pointed a flashlight at the house as we drove past, not noticing anything out of the ordinary: chainlink fence, padlocked, with the usual warning to keep out. He kept driving down the road, pulling over a short while later into a small wooded area, turning to look at me.

"Come on, you're not going to sulk the whole time are you?" He asked with a sigh. I grumped at him and crossed my arms, looking out the window.

"Really?" He asked again, blowing out a long breath and then taking another one in.

"I just don't see why we have to do this," I said, still looking out the window.

"We don't, but come on, it's the _Morton House _Beth! This chance only comes up once every four years! I had to beg Jefferson to let us handle this."

"Which reminds me, I need to kick his ass for even bringing it up," I huffed.

"Come on, Beth… don't be like this. We're meant to be having a good time aren't we? Just the two of us?" Dean moved across the benchseat toward me and reached out to stroke a hand along the back of my neck and I shivered under his touch, scowling, that wasn't fair play and he knew it.

"Look, it's just tonight, then we're on our way up to the border and we get to spend the whole week together just doing fun things, no hunting," he promised and I sighed, looking over at him. It was damn hard to stay angry at him when he was circling his fingers along my neck and shoulders, creating a needy ache inside of me for him.

"Promise?" I asked, leaning in to him a little bit.

"I promise," he said, leaning in to kiss my neck and I shivered again.

"God I hate it when you do that," I said with a moan, reaching a hand out to stroke it along his cheek.

"You know you've wanted a shot at the Morton House since you were seventeen," he said looking at me.

"Yeah, well, that was then… things are a little different now," I said, looking down at my hands. I didn't want to risk doing anything stupid and losing him any sooner than was already going to happen.

"They're not that different," Dean argued, putting his arm around me and pulling me closer, his left hand running down over my arm to my stomach where he splayed it across the shirt I was wearing, teasing me in large round circles.

I moaned, shifting under his touch and then moving his hand so I could turn to straddle him in the middle of the car front. "Yes they are… we weren't doing this when I was seventeen," I said with a grin, kissing his lips and lingering along his jawline as he groaned. "And we certainly weren't married."

He chuckled. "Listen to you and dropping the whole married thing whenever you can," he said with a smile.

"Uh huh, well I think I've earned it, don't you?" I asked. "I'm going to make the most of it while I kiss my most gorgeous _husband, _and caress my _husband, _and make love to my _husband…"_ this last part punctuated with a gentle grinding against his groin as I caught his lower lip in mine, sucking softly.

Dean groaned again, his hands sliding up under my shirt and stroking my bare back. He glanced over my shoulder at the dash and grinned at me, "so… do you think we have time for a quickie? Or are you deliberately trying to delay things so we can't get into the house before midnight?"

I laughed and glanced at the clock, raising my eyebrow. "How long do you need?" I asked with a grin.

Dean grinned and pulled his t-shirt off baring his chest, pulling me in to him and kissing me hungrily. "How long do you?" He asked, starting to unbuckle his pants as he kissed me again. I groaned and pulled at my own clothes, looking at the back seat. I didn't know about him, but I wasn't going to need long at all to sate my current desires; tomorrow, when we were on our way to Sioux Saint Marie with this hunt well and truly behind us it would be an entirely different story.

* * *

_**An hour later**_

**Dean's POV**

I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as we tucked our clothes back in and then I started up the car, heading back to the Morton House. At least Beth was in a better mood, I glanced at her a few times and noted the little smile on her face that always accompanied her afterglow. So maybe this hadn't ended up being the quickie we'd anticipated but we still had plenty of time to get into the house and check things out.

The house was big and cold looking as we collected our weapons and badges. There was definitely some movement in the house now we were back and Beth looked at me with a raised eyebrow, pulling her hair up into a ponytail and slipping on her leather jacket.

"Ready?" I asked and she nodded, looking up at the house.

"We need to get whoever is in there out, and soon," she said and I completely agreed with her.

"Yeah, let's go," I said, climbing out of the car and shutting the door behind me. We crept up to the back door and let ourselves in, there were some talking going on in a room nearby and we headed for it, passing through one door and coming into a hallway. We found ourselves standing at one end, two guys at the other.

"Freeze! Police Officers! Don't move!" I said in my best authoritarian voice. The guys panicked, raising their hands in the air and whimpering.

"All right, all right, take it easy boys, let's see some ID," Beth said, shining her light in their direction.

They still didn't move and I sighed. "Come on! Let's see some ID!" I reiterated at them.

"What…are we under… under arrest?" One of the guys, a tall dark haired dweeb asked.

"We are unarmed," said the red-head with glasses.

"Oh, god. Oh, god," I looked at the dweeb again and started to wonder if he was about to have a panic attack as he handed me his ID.

"Want to explain that weirdo outfit, Mr…uh Corbett?" I asked, glancing at his ID. He was dressed from head to toe in camouflage with a light attached to the side of his head. He looked like a hunter cross miner with a video camera.

"I know you," the red-head said and I scoffed.

"Yeah, sure you do. Give me some identification," I said to him, holding out my hand.

"Yeah, ho…whoa, hold on a second! I know the both of you guys. Yeah," he said, nodding in recognition. I glanced at Beth and she was staring wide-mouthed at the pair of them.

"Holy shit!" She said in surprise, looking at me.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Uh, West Texas, six years ago… the… the tulpa we had to take out. Those two goofballs that almost got us killed… the hellhounds or something?" She said, frowning. I shone the light straight in redhead's face, and now that I was paying attention he did look familiar.

"Oh fudge me," I said turning to look at them in disbelief,. That whole damn event had been a bit of a nightmare, first going there because we were bored when Dad took off on us – visiting Cole no doubt now I could look back on it – and then Beth hooking up with that guy, and we got in a massive fight… what a freaking week!

"Yeah, we're not hellhounds anymore, okay?" The red-head said. "It didn't test that well."

"Ed, what's going on?" The other guy asked.

"They're not cops, buddy – no, not at all," Ed said cockily and I sighed. Great, we were never going to get these guys to leave now.

"Ed, Ed…you had a partner, too, didn't – a different guy?" I asked, recalling a tall dark haired dick.

"Oh, yeah, yeah."

"Is he around here somewhere?" Beth asked, looking beyond them.

"He's running around, chasing ghosts," Ed replied.

"Okay, well, listen. You and Rambo need to get your girlfriends and get out of here," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder and steering him toward the exit.

Ed stepped up toward me chuckling and waving a finger at me. "All right. Listen here, chisel chest, okay? We were here first. We've already set up base camp. We beat you." Beth snickered at the chisel chest comment and I looked at her.

"They were here first," I said sarcastically and she rolled her eyes, a grin on her face.

"Mm hmm," Ed said with a nod.

I grabbed Ed and shoved him up against the wall. "Ed…"

"Yeah?"

"…where's your partner?" I finished and Beth smirked, shaking her head. Idiots!

* * *

_**1 week later  
Cicero, Indiana**_

**Beth's POV**

"He's what?!" Lisa asked, getting up and pacing the floor, looking out the window at Dean and Ben tossing a baseball back and forth. "No... no there's no such thing as Hell. Or demons!"

"I'm sorry Lisa, but there is... everything I've told you is true," I said quietly, remaining seated.

"But..." She stopped, crossing her arms. "No, no, no... how could you do this? Where do you guys _get off _coming into our lives, developing a relationship with my son, knowing this was going to happen?! How am I supposed to explain this to Ben?!" She snapped, coming over to lean on a chair.

"How dare you!" She said angrily.

"Hey, now that's hardly fair. We didn't come looking for you, and you were the one who told Dean about Ben in the end, don't put that on us," I said, feeling indignation rising in my chest.

"You should never have come back!"

"Well maybe he wanted to!" I said loudly back, standing up to face her across the table. "Did you stop to think that maybe, just maybe he wanted to get to know his own flesh and blood before he ends up in such a horrible place?"

"You should have thought about what you're going to tell his flesh and blood when he dies in a few months! You have no idea what I'm going to go through, you don't know what it's like to be a mother!" Lisa snapped and I flinched, putting a hand to my forehead, willing myself not to react.

Dean looked up from outside, hearing the raised voices and frowned.

"You know what... we're just gonna go," I said tiredly, walking toward the glass door. I paused, looking back at her, "and you're right, I don't know what it's like to be a mother, we lost our baby before we had the chance." I pulled open the door and walked out into the evening, shutting it again on Lisa's stunned face. She hadn't known, not many people did, and I didn't talk about it. I was too upset to care about what she thought about that.

* * *

_**1 week earlier  
Appleton, Wisconsin**_

**Beth's POV**

Ed showed us to _Base Camp _his little head flashlight flicking about as he looked around the room.

"What are you doing in the Morton House, Ed – on leap year – what are you thinking?" Dean asked, shaking his head.

"We're here to spend the night, okay? It's for our TV show," he explained and I gaped at him.

"What?! Great. Perfect," I said sarcastically, throwing my arms in the air.

"Yeah, nobody's ever spent the night before," Corbett said with a naïve smile.

"Uh, actually, yeah, they have," Dean said pointedly.

"Uh, we've never heard of them," Ed said.

"Yeah, you know why? 'Cause the ones that have haven't lived to talk about it!" Dean snapped at him.

"Oh, come on," Ed scoffed, "I don't believe you."

"Look," I said, slamming my bag down on the table and starting to rifle through the contents. "Missing persons reports going back almost half a century," I pulled the printouts from the bag and showed Ed. "Uh, John Grant stayed on a dare – gone. Julie Wilkerson – gone. There are tonnes more. All of them came to just _stay the night _through, always on a leap year. The only body they ever found was the last owner, Freeman Daggett."

"These look legit," Ed said in a marvelling voice, flipping through the printouts.

"They _are _legit!" I said. "Look, Ed, we haven't got much time here. Starting midnight, your friends are going to die," I said, looking at him. He was a pain in the ass, but he didn't deserve to die.

Yelling sounded from upstairs as three people came running down the stairs. I recognised Harry, Ed's partner in crime from when we met them six years ago. He was with a girl and another guy.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god!" Harry said, his face flushed with excitement as he rushed up to us, looking around. "Guys! Guys! Oh my god! Oh my god! We got one! Corbett! Corbett, we saw one! We saw one!"

"Get outta here!" Ed said excitedly.

"It was a full apparition!" Harry said. "It was like a class four. It was a spectral illumination! It..."

"It was amazing!" The girl cried out.

Harry noticed us and stopped looking from me to Dean and then back again. I squinted in the light suddenly shining in my eyes and cursed their little headlights. "Hey, aren't those the assholes from Texas?" Harry asked, pointing at us.

"Yes," Ed said with a nod.

"All right, let's have this reunion across the street, guys," Dean said, stepping forward.

"Crap. What are you guys doing here? Where's your brother?" Harry asked.

"Come on, come on. We'll get you ice cream – our treat," Dean said in a patronising tone. "What do you say? Let's go."

"Yeah I say no," Harry said, walking away to where the girl was tapping away on a laptop.

"Look at this. Look, look. Ed, Ed. No. No. Look at this. Okay, honest to god proof, all right?" She said, pointing to a video replay she had just uploaded. They were like kids on Christmas morning, watching the screen in excited anticipation.

"Are you kidding me?" Ed asked, coming around to view the footage. I walked around to look too, curious at what they'd seen.

"Yeah, no, not kidding," Harry said, shaking his head.

"What kind of reading did we get?" The other guy said.

"Uh, it was a 10.9," Harry said.

"10.9?" Ed asked incredulously.

"Yeah, it was 10.9. It was almost 11. I came out, and I was like, 'what's going on?' And I was like – wait, watch this. Oh! He got blasted. It was crazy," he said pointing to the screen where a ghost suddenly fell to the ground, dead. I looked at Dean who was frowning and we walked away.

"Think maybe you're off on this? I mean, that was just a death echo," I said to him quietly.

"Yeah, but what's it doing here? Did anybody get shot here?" Dean asked.

"No, not that Jefferson could find," I said, shaking my head and thinking about the research I'd begrudgingly read on our way here.

"What's a death echo?" A voice asked from behind us and I turned to see a video camera in my face.

"Look, we got a problem here. And that ghost isn't it," I said, pointing my flashlight at the laptop.

"Yeah, that's real. Like that happened," Harry said from behind the guy, seeming to ignore us.

"What's a death echo?" The guy asked again.

"Echoes are trapped in a loop, okay? They keep replaying how they died over and over and over again, usually in the place where they were ganked. It's about as dangerous as a scary movie," Dean explained.

"So maybe the echo's not dangerous, but maybe something is," I said to Dean, as I walked toward the group huddled around the laptop.

"You're right," he said with a nod. "All right, we need to get out of here guys. Come on. Let's go. Let's go. Let's go. Pack it up!"

"Guys, time is running out!" I snapped when they didn't move, grabbing the girl and starting to push her toward the door.

"What about all of our equipment?" She asked, pointing to the laptop. "What are we gonna..."

"Lots of fun. Let's go," Dean interrupted, herding the others around the table and toward the exit.

"We got more material. We got all kinds of stuff. We'll make you guys recurring guest stars," Harry said, trying to bargain his way into staying.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Ed yelled suddenly, causing us all to come to a dead halt. "Where's Corbett?" He asked, looking around.

Dean shoved Ed toward the door as we all argued. "No man left behind!" Ed said as an anguished cry sounded from upstairs. I cursed as everyone around us panicked. "That was Corbett," Ed said.

"That was Corbett! Corbett!" Harry shouted, moving toward the stairs.

"Corbett!" The girl called out, following Harry. The two of them, along with Ed ran up the stairs and I looked at Dean who was groaning.

"We'll get him! Go back!" He said pointlessly as they ignored us.

"Damn it!" I cursed, sighing. This was all we needed. Bad enough we were in here playing hunt the thing that wants to kill us, but now we were babysitting almost half a dozen amateurs, one of whom had just decided to go on his own tour of the house after we told them it was too dangerous to stay and time to leave.

"Let me go! Guys!" Corbett started screaming again and we moved quickly up the stairs.

"Corbett, you need to come back, Corbett," Ed was yelling into an empty room.

"No!" Corbett screamed and I looked around. It was coming from the walls. I cursed, spirits in the walls always creeped me out, ever since Philadelphia.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Come on," Dean said, trying to get the others out and down stairs again. Corbett's screams continued, becoming fainter with each moment.

"Corbett's... he's not here," I said, circling around and trying to round them all toward the door. "Let's go. Let's go."

"No. No. NO. But that's Corbett. No that was Corbett. Didn't you hear that?" Harry argued. It didn't matter what we'd heard, we had to get out of here, now.

"Go, go, go, come on," Dean urged them.

"Guys," I said, pointing toward the stairs. "Guys. Guys. He's that way. Here we go," I said, pushing them toward the stairs. "Keep it moving. Keep it moving."

"Corbett?" Ed asked frantically as the others continued to talk and look around.

We got back down to the living room and Ed started to panic. "Oh god, what's happened? Oh, god. He's gone. He just disappeared," he said.

"Okay, let's just go through all the angles. Let's go through all the cameras we have," Harry started as I walked up to a door, finding it stuck, we were trapped. I looked at my watch and sighed.

"Well, it's 12:04, Dean. You good? You happy?" I snapped.

"Yeah, I am happy," Dean snapped back at me, glaring.

"'Let's go hunt the Morton house,' you said. 'it's our Grand Canyon,'" I pushed, feeling fear and worry start to pound in my chest and covering it up with blame.

"Beth, I don't want to hear this," he said wearily to me, running a hand across his face.

"You got two months left, Dean. We're supposed to be on our _honeymoon. _Instead we're gonna die, _tonight_, and I can't do a damn thing about Hell if I'm dead!" I said, kicking at a chair. That was kind of the crux of it. I didn't mind dying, Hell at least I'd maybe get some rest for a change instead of having to worry about Sammy all the time, but the thought of eternity without Dean while he was locked up in Hell... that was too much to bear.

I looked at the chair and picked it up, starting to bash it against the door I'd just tried to open a moment ago. It felt good to let a little pent up rage out, even if it wasn't accomplishing anything in the interim.

"Whoa!" The guy with a camera following us around exclaimed. "What the hell is going on guys?"

"I'll tell you what's going on!" I snapped, turning to him. "Every door, every window, I'm guessing every _exit _out of this house – they're all sealed!" I said, looking up at everyone who was now staring at my outburst.

"But w-why are they sealed?" The girl asked.

"It's a supernatural lockdown okay?" Dean said. "Whatever took Corbett doesn't want us to leave, and it's no death echo," he licked his lips, looking at me with a concerned glance. "This is a bad mother, and it wants us scared," he added.

"Or it just wants us," the girl said.

"Uh, guys, the camera's fritzing again," said our personal cameraman as the EMF started to spike.

"Whoa. Whoa. Guys, the EMF's starting to spike. This is a big one! " Ed said.

I took Dean's hand, feeling a little scared, this one was big and we both knew it. "Everybody stay close," I instructed. "There's something coming."

* * *

_**Dean's POV**_

Beth took my hand which told me a lot about where she was at. She was scared, and when I looked at her, I could see traces of that, even though she was trying hard to hide it.

The room seemed to turn almost hazy and then out of nowhere a man appeared in front of us. "Whoa!" Everyone called out in surprise, reeling back a little.

"Is this the same echo you guys saw earlier?" I asked, not recognising the same spirit.

"No, it's a different guy," Harry said. I frowned: what the hell?

"Multiple echoes?" I asked, looking at Beth. "What the Hell's going on?"

"Beats me," Beth said with a shrug, looking just as confused.

"Okay. All right. All right. All right," I said, taking a deep breath and walking over to the guy.

"Uh, hey, buddy! Hey. Hey. Wake up. You're dead! Hello!" I yelled into his face, hoping to shock him out of the echo.

"What's he doing? What's he doing?" Harry asked Beth and she nodded at me.

"It's rare, but sometimes you can shock an echo out of its loop if you can talk to the part of the ghost that's still human, but usually you have to have some kind of connection to the deceased," she explained.

"Come on!" I yelled. "Wake up! Be dead!"

The apparition flickered and turned around, I followed it.

"You guys hear that?" Harry asked.

"What's that sound?" Ed questioned.

"Snap out of it buddy, huh?" I continued. "Come on, what are you waiting for? You're gonzo! You're dead!"

Suddenly bright lights appeared out of nowhere and a horn blared at me. The apparition flew backwards as if hit by an invisible vehicle and I jumped, swearing I almost felt that ride up my ass. That was close. I looked along where it would have driven, stunned. That had felt a little too real for comfort.

"Where the Hell did it go?" Harry asked.

* * *

_**1 week later  
Cicero, Indiana**_

**Dean's POV**

Beth was close to tears when she left the kitchen, walking out into the back yard. She sniffed them back when she saw me and I sighed, feeling the usual guilt rise up that I was putting her through any of this.

"Beth!" Lisa called out from the house, opening the door. "Beth, I'm sorry!"

I frowned again, wondering what that was all about. I reached Beth in just a couple of strides and took her arms in my hands, turning her to look at me.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, can we just go?" She asked, clearly lying outright.

"Yeah, if you want. But, uh, I kind of thought we'd be talking to Ben next," I said, looking back at the boy who was staring at us in confusion.

"Beth, please," Lisa said, walking up to us, guilt in her eyes.

"Just... don't Lisa. I don't want to hear it," Beth said, shaking her head and walking away. She walked past Ben, rifling his hair as she did, and into the back part of the yard.

"What the hell?" I asked, looking at her.

"It's my fault, we were fighting about … well... you know. And I accused her of not thinking about the consequences of your actions because she's not a mother..." Lisa looked chagrined and I cursed under my breath, looking up at the sky.

"Oh Lees!" I muttered, shaking my head.

"I didn't know!" She said urgently, looking at me with worry. "I'm sorry, I didn't know, you guys didn't tell me."

"Yeah I know," I said with a sigh. "That one's even more complicated than the whole going to Hell story," I muttered, looking at Lisa. "Let me go talk to her, then we can all sit down and figure out where we go from here, we'll answer any questions you have, huh?"

Lisa nodded and I breathed a little sigh of relief. It wasn't easy juggling two strong headed women, especially when they were butting heads. I'd been lucky, because until now the pair of them had always agreed on things, gaining a monopoly on me. They had been starting to form a firm friendship, one I hoped was going to continue after I was gone, so I had to fix this: now.

Beth hadn't gone far, she was sitting on a set of swings in the backyard, staring at her feet. I took the swing next to her and silently waited for her to speak.

"I tried Dean, I really did... and God knows it hasn't been easy watching you with Ben and Lisa, seeing what we could have had," she said finally, sniffing back tears.

"I know."

"You deserve this, a family, and a life where you don't have to look after anything other than the normal stuff."

"So do you," I insisted and she shook her head.

"Do I?" She asked with a simultaneous sob and laugh. "I don't know about that Dean."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because everything I touch, everything I love dies," she said, looking at her hands and wringing them together.

"That's not true," I said, moving off the swing and kneeling in front of her, my hands on her hips. "Don't say that."

"It is true!" She insisted, shaking her head. "My mom, my dad, your dad, our baby, Sam... and now you." Tears glittered in her eyes and she bit her lip, running a hand along my face. I closed my eyes and leaned in to the touch.

"Sam's not dead," I said quietly.

"Yeah, and look how I screwed that up!"

"You didn't screw up Beth, you did the mission. It's our job to keep him safe." I said.

"It's my job to keep you safe too," she said quietly, sniffing and wiping at her eyes impatiently. "But … Dean we only have two months, not even that!" I sighed, there was nothing I could do about that, we had been over this again and again, both fully aware that time was running out.

"Talk to me about Lisa," I said, changing the subject. "What happened?"

Beth sighed and looked back toward the house.

"It's not her fault, we never told her about the baby and she has a right to be angry – she's right, we have just waltzed in and made ourselves part of her family, and now that's all about to change."

"Hey, you did think this through, I don't care what she says. I'm the one who pushed for this," I said.

"She doesn't know that," Beth said quietly.

"Well she will." I said adamantly. Lisa had to know that this had been my idea, that getting to know my son had been something I'd wanted to do and that Beth had discouraged it at the start for exactly this reason. I'd just been selfish, and maybe worried, I'd needed to know what this kid could do so that if the time came he would be able to protect his mother. But I had discovered I didn't really know anything about kids. Sammy, sure, but kids? Not really.

After the gun lesson incident, Beth had taken over planning the outings for Ben and me. I'd learned to do fatherly things like go to baseball games, teach him to play a bit of guitar – what I could remember from when I was a teen learning it anyway – and she'd eventually let me take him to archery. Seemed not all of Dad's lessons had left her.

I thought about all the things I could have done with little Patrick if he'd lived and sighed, I wouldn't get to do them with anyone soon enough. I reached up and trailed my hand along her temples and down the side of her face.

"Hey, do you want another baby?" I asked, not sure about how I felt on that. "Because that is one thing we do have time for."

Beth looked at me in surprise and then bit her lip, starting to cry again.

* * *

_**1 week earlier  
Appleton, Wisconsin**_

**Beth's POV**

We seemed to have developed a fan, the quiet cameraman who'd been filming my little breakdown was now following us as we headed up the stairs to investigate what had happened to Corbett. Dean led the way, followed by me, camera guy, and then all the noise and carry on from the rest of the ghost hunter wannabes.

"This is ridiculous! Let's go to Morton House you said... it'll be fun, you said!" I muttered under my breath, catching the look given to me by the guy. "Look, you try living with him!" I said with a frown. He snickered.

"I'm Spruce," he said, holding out his hand as we walked down the corridor behind Dean.

"Beth, that's Dean," I said, shaking his hand quickly.

"So you guys are like... brother and sister?" He asked.

"Yes," I said as Dean answered simultaneously. _"No!" _

I stopped and laughed, shaking my head. "Well, yes and no, it's complicated," I said. Spruce looked curiously at us and Dean stopped with a sigh.

"Look, it's not complicated. Adopted sister, also my wife. Not complicated!" He said, shaking his head and then walking off down the corridor again. I chuckled, now look who was dropping the married line.

"No, nothing complicated about that," Spruce snickered and I chuckled. Dean had never really struggled with the whole brother-sister thing like I had, not that I'd really struggled, but I definitely was the one that kept the facade up longest.

"Dude, there's no records of any of this here. No one got shot here. Obviously no one got run over by a freaking train," Dean said as we walked.

I looked behind us and the group was lagging a little. "Stay close," I urged everyone.

"Did the echoes take Corbett?" Maggie, the girl, asked.

"Yes. No. I don't know!" Dean answered in a frustrated tone. "We don't know what's doing what here; that's what we're trying to figure out, okay?" I laid a hand on Dean's arm and he rolled his eyes, his frustration and worry over the people now in our care highly evident.

"All right, stay close. Okay, look, um, death echoes are ghosts, okay?" I said, turning back to the group. "Now, ghosts – they usually haunt places where they lived or where they died..."

"Except these mooks didn't live or die here," Dean put in.

"Right," I said with a nod.

"So, what are they doing here?" Maggie asked.

"Hey, give the lady a cigar!" Dean said with a smile, turning to find Maggie in his face with a camera. He primped a little and I chuckled at the broad grin on Dean's face. "All right, seriously, does looking at this nightmare through that camera make you feel better or something? I mean..." He asked and I kept walking with a shake of my head. This coming from the man who was playing up to the cameras.

"Um... I , uh... well yeah. Uh yeah, I think so." Maggie said after hesitating and lowering the camera for a moment.

"Oh," Dean said, shaking his head and walking away. I looked back at Dean and chuckled.

"Hey maybe we should get a couple of those cameras, strap them to our heads. The things we could put on TV..." I commented. "Our lives would put these guys to shame," I laughed.

Dean paused, raising an eyebrow and following me. "Hey, really? You think?" He asked, "well you know... maybe … whoa!" We'd walked into a room full of stuffed animal heads. I stared around us, every surface on the wall was covered, as well as the tops of file cabinets.

"Ick," I said with a shudder, moving to pick up a broken framed certificate. "Freeman Daggett, house's last owner, officially commended for 20 years of fine service at the Gamble General Hospital," I read out loud.

"Was he a doctor?" Dean asked.

"Janitor," I replied.

"This looks like his den. When'd you say he died – '64?"

"Yeah, heart attack," I said with a nod.

"What are these, c-rations?" Maggie asked, shining her light on a shelf with a bunch of army issued rations.

"Yeah, army-issued, three squartes – like a lifetime supply," Dean said.

"God, is that all he ate?" Maggie asked.

"One-stop shopping," Dean replied, walking up to a cabinet. "Hello, locked!" He said, pulling on the handle.

"Oh, come on guys. This is ridiculous. I mean, how the hell is this supposed to find Corbett, huh? We should be digging up the friggin' floorboards right now," Ed said, moving around the room, a bundle of tense energy.

I picked up a dusty pamphlet that caught my eye, wiping it clear. "Huh," I said, turning to Dean. "'Survival Under Atomic Attack'. An optimist," I said with a grin and then jumped as there was a loud bang. Dean wasn't listening to me, he we busy prying open a locked cabinet. He pulled out a large metal box from the cabinet and turned around to find Maggie and Ed in his face, stopping when the light his his eyes and throwing them a glare.

"You mind?" He asked, and they scurried out of his way. Dumping the box on a table, Dean started rifling through it.

"Crap. Crap. Taxidermy. Okay," he said with a sigh, turning to me. "You said Daggett was a hospital janitor?"

"Yeah."

"Ewwww. Got three toe tags here – one, death by gunshots, train accident, and suicide," he finished, holding up the tags.

"Ewwwww!" I said, wrinkling up my nose and shuddering.

"What?" Harry asked, not understanding the point.

"Well, that explains why all the death echoes are here." I said. The boys stared at me completely blank.

I sighed. "They're here because their bodies are here... somewhere in the house?" I pointed out.

"Daggett brought the remains home from the morgue...to 'play'," Dean added, looking into Spruce's camera with a stare.

Harry and Ed exchanged a look of horror. "Ewwwwwwwwwwwww! Ugh!"

"That's nasty dude," Spruce said from where he was shadowing me.

"Right," I agreed.

"Wait a minute," Dean said, pausing and looking up. "Where'd the girl go?"

I looked up and sure enough, Maggie had disappeared, just walked right off after we'd specifically told her not to. I groaned. People! They were freaking idiots!

* * *

_**Dean's POV**_

Maggie hadn't gone far, I found her in the next room over, leaving Beth with the others. She was wandering around looking for Corbett, scaring the crap out of herself when she nearly walked into a mirror. I chuckled, stepping up behind her, startling her again.

"Closer to the herd, okay?" I said, taking her arm.

"Maggie? Maggie?" Harry asked urgently as I steered her back to the group.

"She's fine," I said.

"Harry. Harry, I got an 8.6 and climbing fast. Something huge is coming. Look. Something big is coming!" Ed said, looking at the EMF.

I moved the group into the same room and Harry's voice started to sound panicked again. "It's past 11, you guys."

"What?" I asked, surprised. "Nobody move! Hold on. Hold on. Stay quiet," I said, glancing back at Beth who frowned.

"It's really cold in here," Ed commented, stating the obvious. It was freezing, like a cold snap had just washed through the house.

"Harry?" Maggie asked next to me, breathing hard. I shone my light around doing a head count.

"Beth?" I asked, feeling my heart jump in my chest when I didn't see her right away.

"Some kind of surge," Ed was saying.

"Beth?" I reiterated a little more urgently when she didn't answer me.

"Where'd she go?" Spruce asked, looking around.

"Oh no," Maggie said. I walked back to where I'd seen her last and found her flashlight on the ground, a sinking feeling hitting me.

"Beth!" I yelled, trying to get an answer out of her. "Beth! Answer me!" There was nothing. She was gone, and this was all my fault for bringing us here.

I started walking through the house, going from room to room, ignoring all the fools following me who were screaming for Corbett in addition to Beth.

Suddenly I realised I was alone, and I sighed. Where the hell had those idiots gone this time? I doubled back to find Ed and Harry in what barely passed for a fight, Maggie caught in the middle of it.

"Hey!" I yelled, getting in the middle of it and breaking them up. "What the fuck are you doing?! Cut it out! We're down by two people," and that set me off again. "Beth!" I yelled to no avail. I couldn't believe the idiocy of these... idiots! Two of us, one of them my wife, was missing and they're fighting!

"I'm sorry," Ed said, walking up to Spruce. "Give me my glasses. Did he knock my – my tooth there?"

"Uh, no," Spruce replied, shaking his head.

"I won that right?" Ed asked.

"Yep, you're good," Spruce said encouragingly, I just stared, flabbergasted and then threw my hands up in the air. I had to find Beth. At this point, if the spirit took the rest of them, maybe it'd actually help.

* * *

_**1 week later  
Cicero, Indiana**_

**Beth's POV**

"A baby, now?" I asked, shaking my head. "It's a little late Dean!"

He crouched a little closer, looking at me with very serious eyes.

"No it's not, it's not for you," he said pointedly. "You know, I don't want you doing this when I... when I'm gone. I want you to get out, go somewhere safe, live a normal life Beth."

"No!" I said angrily. "No, I'm not giving up on you, I'm not just going to leave you down there in Hell Dean, I promised, and I meant it."

He smiled at me, heart breaking in his love for me. "I'm just giving you another option, I just want you to be happy."

"You think a baby will make me happy?"

"Wouldn't it?"

"Yes, but not without you. That's kind of the whole point Dean. I don't want a baby just for the sake of having one, I want one with you, to share that with you as a family," I said, biting my lip.

"So...?"

"So no baby, not until you're safe and sound, and not going to just disappear to Hell, or anywhere else for that matter," I said, kissing him and resting my arms around his neck. "You're more important to me than any baby."

"All right," he said with a nod, taking a deep breath and releasing it. "All right...well, let's talk about now then. And Lisa. Are you going to come talk to her?"

I sighed and nodded. "Yeah, okay, but I don't want to make a big deal out of this. I don't want her fussing or treating me any different than she always has. People lose babies...Dean...it happens. I don't want to be treated like some fragile woman who … who..." I stopped, tearing up again and sniffing, looking away from him.

"Yeah... I know baby," he said, pulling me into him and holding me close. I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly and sighed, breathing in his scent. "It's going to be okay, Beth, I promise."

I didn't believe him, but I wanted to. I clung to him, feeling him pressed in tightly against me and slowly after a while he pulled out of my embrace, leaning his forehead against mine and smiling.

"So what are you going to tell Ben?" I asked.

He looked up at me and shrugged. "He's a big boy, he's seen changelings and knows about them. I'm gonna tell him the truth," he said, standing up and pulling me to my feet in front of him.

* * *

_**1 week earlier  
Appleton, Wisconsin**_

**Beth's POV**

I woke up to a dark room with the music _It's My Party _playing. There was the tiniest amount of light coming from Corbett's headlamp, he was tied to a chair at a table and unconscious, it was about all I could see from the angle of his head.

"Corbett. Corbett," I said, trying to wake the guy up. I was tied just as securely to a chair and unlike most people who often made the mistake of tying me like a girl, this spirit wasn't taking any chances: I was stuck, and there was no wriggling out of this one. "Hey, Corbett, hey," I said again.

The young man started to stir, his light flashing around the room as he tried to get his bearings. It flashed across the table revealing cake and confetti on it.

"Beth?" Corbett asked, looking over at me. I squinted in the direct light and nodded.

"Corbett, hey, I'm here, you just got to keep listening to my voice, okay?" I said to him, trying to sound more reassuring than I felt. "I'm right here. Stay awake."

"Don't listen," a voice said from the darkness and Corbett glanced around frantically, starting to panic. "It stops hurting, so don't worry."

I frowned, not liking the sound of that one bit. Daggett, the spirit of the man who'd last owned the house stepped into the circle of light from the headlamp, he was brandishing a knife.

"Corbett, stay with me," I said, gulping. "Stay with me, you got it? I'm right here. Hey. Stay with me," I said again, watching as the spirit moved behind the frantic kid. I grimaced. "Don't... please, don't," I begged, but Daggett didn't listen, slitting Corbett's throat right in front of me in one swift motion.

"No! Corbett! No, no. Corbett!" I gasped, watching as blood poured from the guy's throat and then he fell forward on to the table, his light shining in my general direction. I couldn't catch my breath, suddenly terrified of what was going to happen. Dean would be looking for us, but we'd also been looking for Corbett and hadn't found him.

"Dean!" I yelled, my breathing starting to come in short bursts as Daggett moved closer to me. "Oh my God, no. Don't. Dean! Dean! Get away from me," I said, breathing hard.

"This won't hurt," he said to me. "It's okay. It's okay. Relax...relax," he said and I started to hyperventilate a little as he reached out to me. I stilled my breathing as much as I could, if I was going to get through this I had to be thinking straight, I couldn't allow myself to panic. Dean would come for me.

Daggett reached out and strapped a party hat to my head and I frowned, _a party hat?_

* * *

_**Dean's POV**_

"Dean, what are you doing?" Harry asked me as I started going through the papers on the desk again.

"Okay, so Daggett was a cold war nut, okay? He was – he was an amateur taxidermist. He liked to slow dance with cadavers, and all he ate were c-rations, so _what the Hell are we looking for?_!" I asked urgently, looking through stacks of papers that meant nothing to me and slamming the box down that I'd been looking in earlier.

"Horrible little life," Maggie muttered beside me and I nodded.

"Yeah, a lonely life...a cold war life. He was scared. He was scared..." I paused, looking up. "He was scared..." I said again, the realisation of where he'd taken Beth and Corbett coming to me. I didn't take time to explain, running off from the group and heading for the lower floor.

"Scared of what?"Harry asked. "Dean, where are you going?!"

"Wait, don't leave me in here you guys!" Maggie asked, and at least the idiots were following me. I hurried down the stairs, shining a light ahead of me as I explained the plan to the group.

"Guys like Daggett back then, the ones who were really scared of the Russkies – they built bomb shelters. I'm guessing he's got one," I said, reaching the door to the basement. "I'll bet you it's in the basement," I added, opening the door and stepping through with Spruce. The door slammed shut behind us and I could hear the panic from the others on the outside.

"Woah!" Harry exclaimed.

"Whoa! That is not funny!" Ed added.

"Um, who closed the door?" Spruce asked, I chuckled, I liked that guy, he was okay.

"It did. It wants to separate us," I said through the door. "Ed! Listen to me!"

"What?"

"There's some salt in my duffel. Make a circle and get inside," I instructed.

"Inside?"

"That's stupid," Harry commented and I rolled my eyes.

"Inside your duffel bag?" Ed asked.

"In the salt, you idiots!" I exclaimed.

"Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah." Ed said. I didn't wait to hear if they actually did anything, I had to get to Beth and this spirit was active again. For all I knew, I was already too late. I felt my heart skip a beat at the thought and then took a few deep breaths. I wasn't too late, I couldn't be.

"Hey, can I asked you something?" Spruce asked as we made our way down into the basement.

"What?" I asked, throwing a glance back at him. He was still filming for this ridiculous TV show. I had to admit, I might have been playing it up for the cameras earlier, but no one was going to beat Beth's tantrum chair smashing.

"Earlier, you and Beth – she said you had two months left?"

"Yeah, it's complicated," I said, "A while ago, Beth..." I stopped. What was I thinking? "No. No. No. I'm not gonna whine about my damn problems to some freakin' reality show. I'm gonna do my freakin' job!"

"Is it cancer? Are you guys really on your honeymoon?" Spruce asked.

"Shut up," I said, holding up my hand, hearing something through the wall. "You hear that?"

"Is that music?" Spruce asked. I could hear a faint song playing, it was definitely there.

"Yeah, it's coming from behind this wall," I said. There was a cabinet there and I shoved it, the thing begrudgingly pulling away from the wall.

"Wow, you're strong," Spruce said and I looked at him in amazement, shaking my head. I flipped him the bird, what was wrong with these people? Beth could have moved that damn thing on her own.

"Dean!" I heard Beth's voice yell out and I shouldered the door to the bomb shelter. It budged, but only because it wasn't locked. I'd gotten lucky. I shoved at the door again, hearing her talking to the spirit beyond, her voice coming out a little panicked.

The door swung open and I moved in with my shotgun pointed.

"Beth!" The room was dark but there was enough light to see by, the spirit was hovering over Beth and I shot it without hesitation, it disappeared. "Beth! God, are you okay?" I asked as I ran to her side, pulling at the ropes holding her to the chair.

"Dean! Oh that was close, thank God, thank God!" She was breathing fast, and in the light of the headlamps appeared frightened. There was a gash under her left eye that was bleeding, but otherwise she looked unharmed. I pulled her up into my arms, holding her tightly.

"I'm sorry, you're right, we should never have come here, if anything had happened..." I couldn't bring myself to say it, just holding her even tighter as she returned the embrace.

"I knew you'd come, I knew..." she said, burying her face in my neck.

"Oh, no, Corbett," Spruce said and I turned with Beth still in my arms, for the first time noticing the other man dead at the table, the freshest corpse among a group of old skeletons. I looked back at Beth and she shook her head sadly. How close had I come to losing her just now?

"What's this Daggett guy's problem anyway?" Spruce asked.

"Loneliness," Beth said, pulling back and waving Spruce out of the bunker into the basement. I followed closely behind her, my hand at her lower back, I wasn't leaving her again for a second if I could help it.

"What, he's never heard of a realdoll?" I asked

"No, no, no, Dagett was the Norman Bates, stuff-your-mother kind of lonely. I mean," she paused and looked back into the bunker with a shudder. "...that's why he lifted those bodies from the morgue, threw himself a birthday party, except they were the only ones who would come." I looked at her like she was a raving lunatic and she frowned, stopping to dab at the cut under her eye with her fingers and grimacing. "Anyway, so, at midnight, he sealed them in the bomb shelter and went upstairs and O.D'd on horse tranqs," she finished.

"How do you know this?" I asked, handing her a cloth to hold under her eye.

"Because he told me," she said simply.

"Oh. Yeah. Right, so now that's he's dead, what? Same song, different verse, trying to get people to come to his party?" I asked.

"Pretty much, yeah. Stay forever," she answered as I emptied out the shotgun of the used shells, and slid a couple more in, snapping the gun shut.

"Are those real bullets?" Spruce asked, zeroing in on the gun with his camera.

"It's rock salt."

* * *

_**3 days later  
Sioux Saint Marie, Michigan**_

**Beth's POV**

"Heeeey, how's my favourite girl this morning?" Dean asked, coming into the room, a video camera plastered to his left eye. I peaked out from under the covers and groaned.

"Really? You're still playing with that thing?" I asked, making sure I was covered with the sheet.

"Mhmmm, hey this isn't so bad once you get used to it, those guys might be on to something" he said with a chuckle, he grinned and spun the display around so that he could look at himself, the camera extended out in front of him as he sat next to me on the bed.

"So... day two of the official... _honeymoon..._and we're about to order a little breakfast courtesy of _room service _and then I'm thinking, we should try and get out of the motel room, what do you say cherrypie?" I looked at him and smiled, shaking my head in amusement.

"You see that? She said no... no! Well I'm going to have to do something to convince her there's things to see other than the bed," he chuckled, talking to an imaginary audience. He slid in beside me, pushing his face up to me and kissing my cheek, still looking at the camera.

"Do you love me?" He asked, looking at me.

"Godddd! Dean, put that thing away!" I groaned and he laughed, kissing me.

"Well?"

"Well what?" I asked.

"The question... curious minds want to know..." he said with a grin.

I rolled my eyes and looked into the camera, groaning. "Yes... as a matter of fact, I... Beth Winchester love my husband very much," I said with a giggle, turning to slide my hands around him and running them under his t-shirt. "I'd love him a lot more and in a much better way if he'd put the camera away..." I said suggestively.

"Really?" He asked with a grin and I started to nibble along his neck, kissing and sucking the soft skin I found there. Dean groaned and rolled away, putting the camera on the night stand, turning back to me and pinning me to the mattress, hovering over me and looking into my eyes.

"Have I mentioned you're beautiful?" He asked and I nodded with a smile.

"Good," he said with a grin, and he leaned down to start kissing along my neck, drawing a light moan from my throat. "Because you are..."

* * *

_**3 days earlier  
Appleton, Wisconsin**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean was attempting to break down the basement door with a crowbar we'd found, I stood behind him, out of range as he swung at the door. I looked back to find Spruce and his camera pointed in our direction.

"Seriously?" I asked. "You're still shooting?"

Dean paused and looked at me. "It makes him feel better. Don't ask," he said. I grinned and then Spruce looked alarmed.

"Uh, hell, guys. Get in your ghost-role thing. Something's coming," he said, looking at his camera. He turned around and Daggett appeared right in front of us, knocking Spruce and his camera to the ground.

"OH, my – oh!" Spruce called out as Daggett reached for him. I pumped the shotgun and fired, the rock salt sent the spirit packing. I reached down, helping Spruce to his feet.

"Take it easy, you all right?" I asked him.

"Uh, guys!" Spruce said again as he looked through the camera. He pointed toward Dean and Daggett appeared in front of him, throwing Dean against a wall, then I felt myself lifted through the air, hitting another wall.

"This is bad – very bad," Spruce said, stumbling back as Daggett went for him.

I groaned and shook my head, still lying on the ground, looking for the shotgun which I'd dropped in the attack. Suddenly Corbett's spirit appeared behind Daggett and the spirit turned to face him.

"Corbett?" Spruce asked. I watched as Corbett's ghost suddenly attacked Daggett and they both disappeared in a flash of blinding light.

"You all right?" Spruce was asked me, helping me to my feet. "You all right?"

"God..." I muttered, looking over at Dean who was climbing to his feet. The spirits seemed to be gone, was this over? Were we done here? I really hoped so, because I did not fancy coming back here in four years time to do this all over again. Spruce spun around to look at Dean and he rolled his eyes, covering the lens with his hands.

* * *

_**Three months later (Present Day)  
Ghostfacer 'Headquarters'**_

**Beth's POV**

_"Yeah. Heh heh. And here we were thinking that, you know, we were teaching you and all this time you were teaching us, about heart, about dedication, and about how gay love can pierce through the veil of death and save the day. Thank you, Alan J. Corbett."_ Ed was saying on the screen as I watched.

_"Go well into that starry night, young Turk. Go well."_ Harry added with a serious nod.

The screen cut to one of the _confessional _scenes the guys had been talking about and it was Corbett, alive and smiling. _"I think tonight, I really do, I think all our dreams are going to come true,"_ he said hopefully.

The credits rolled and I stared at the screen, fighting to keep my composure after having just seen Dean, almost in the flesh, for the first time in over a month. Sam reached out a hand to me, resting it on my shoulder, I glanced at him and smiled, fighting back tears.

The documentary finished and I blinked as the Ghostfacer logo and music flashed up on the screen then faded to black. The four of them, Harry, Ed, Spruce and Maggie were standing around Sam and I who were seated in their editing room.

"So, guys, what do you think? Is it all right?" Ed asked. I looked at Sam and he was smiling, shaking his head. I inclined my head at him and smiled.

"You know, I kind of think it was half awesome," I said with a smile, and Sam nodded.

"Half-awesome? That – that's full on good, right?" Maggie asked excitedly.

"Yeah, um, I mean it's bizarre how you all are able to honour Corbett's memory while grossly exploiting the manner of his death," Sam said with a snicker. "Well done." When they weren't looking he slipped a bag under the table we were sitting at next to the computer.

"Yeah, it's a real tight rope you guys are walking there," I said, standing up.

"Nah, that's reality man. Yeah, Corbett gave his life searching for the truth, and it's our job over here to share it with the world," Ed said.

"Right... well, um, our experience, you know what you get when you show the world the truth?" Sam asked, looking at them. They shrugged, looking back at us.

"A straight jacket," I answered with a grin, looking at Sam who nodded.

"Or a punch in the face," he said, and I laughed.

"Sometimes both!"

"Oh come on guys, don't be 'facer haters just because we happen to have gotten the footage of the century," Harry said to us.

"Well, you got us there," I said with a smile, standing up to leave, Sam following my lead.

"Yeah, so hey, where's Dean? We would have liked him to have seen it," Ed asked, looking at me.

Sam looked at me with a concerned glance and I shook my head.

"He uh... he … he couldn't make it, sorry guys," I said finally, getting it out. They looked disappointed and Spruce frowned at me.

"It's been more than two months," he said. I sighed and nodded.

"Oh," he said, looking at me apologetically.

"Oh!" Maggie said, jumping suddenly and then moving to another table and rifling around for something.

"Dean! He uh, he sent me some footage a few months back, not long after you guys left," she said, pulling out a disc from a drawer. "Asked me to edit it into something you could watch," she added, turning to me. I looked confused at her and she pulled me out toward the door.

"It's … uh... it's kind of private, you know. I made sure the guys didn't see any of it, but, he wanted you to have it, something about you'd need it?" She asked, looking at me. "Is he...?"

I shook my head, tears welling up again.

"Oh," she said sadly. "Well, you definitely need to take this, but uh... watch it alone."

I frowned, what the hell was on this DVD? "Yeah, okay, thanks Maggie," I said, shrugging as Sam came up, sliding his hand behind my neck and looking questioningly at me.

"Well, we'll see you guys around," he said to the others and they all nodded, holding up beers to us.

"Peace out," Spruce said, and I fought back the stab of guilt I was feeling over what we were about to do.

We hurried over to the Impala and Sam glanced back at the house as he opened up the driver door. "We clean?" He asked.

In the distance we could hear the guys start to yell. "No! Are you kidding me?!"

We grinned and climbed into the car, smiling at each other.

"Electromagnet just wiped out every tape and hard drive that they have," I commented, looking at the DVD in my hands.

"The world just isn't ready for the Ghostfacers," Sam said with a grin.

"It's too bad. I kinda liked the show," I said, smiling at him.

"It had its moments," Sam said with a laugh. "'_Ed, go be gay for that dead intern_?" I laughed and shook my head. "Oh, and the moment where you took the chair to the door after lecturing Dean for taking you there on your honeymoon? Classic!"

I laughed and nodded. "Oh he deserved that," I said, shaking my head. Sam started the car up and pulled out on the road, looking at me.

"Where to now?" He asked, looking at me.

I looked out at the grassy fields as we drove and I turned to him. "Can we go to Lisa's?" I asked, he looked surprised and then nodded, doing a u-turn in the middle of the road.

* * *

_**Six Hours Later  
Cicero, Indiana**_

**Beth's POV**

Lisa had gone to bed, Sam was asleep on the couch, and I sat on the end of the spare bed, DVD in hand as I stared at the TV in the guest room. Psyching myself up, I slotted it into the DVD player, moving back to the bed and sitting on it, curling my legs underneath me, and putting a pillow in my lap as I held the remote.

Pushing play I waited with bated breath for the DVD to start. The screen came to life with Dean's smiling face and he was laughing and talking to me as he filmed us out and about in Sioux Saint Marie. We were walking across the bridge that united the US and Canadian borders and he stopped to kiss me, filming the whole time. I sighed, feeling my heart break a little at the sight.

Several scenes from that trip played and then he was creeping up on me in bed, wishing me good morning and talking about breakfast. I laughed as the look on his face turned hungry for something else and the camera got put aside, but not turned off, as he rolled to pin me to the mattress, hovering over me.

"Have I mentioned you're beautiful?" He asked; I put my hand to my throat, a couple of tears rolling down my face as I heard the same thing he'd told me many times come over the speakers. It seemed almost surreal hearing it now after so long of nothing more than my own memories.

I blushed a little as I realised he'd kept filming the entire time after that, and it was now coming on to the screen. No wonder Maggie had seemed a little flustered and said she hadn't shown anyone. I sat forward, staring as Dean's lips caressed my skin, trailing down over my breasts and off the screen.

Closing my eyes as I listened to the sound of him breathing and moaning and when he came back on the screen I smiled at the look in his eyes, such concentration, devotion and love as he kissed me tenderly; I sat back again, imagining the feel of that on my lips, my fingers pressed to my mouth. Tears rolled down my cheeks, I couldn't stop them, I could barely see the screen yet I couldn't pull my gaze away.

With a thumping heart I turned the volume up a little so I could hear every little moan as he kissed me before hovering over me and looking into my eyes, brushing the hair out of my face.

"I love you," he whispered softly on the screen; a sob pierced my throat, my chest wracked with pain and tears and I brushed them from my eyes, smiling as he continued to make love to me on the screen. I watched the rest, almost embarrassed, but unable to look away as we moved, united in our passion and having everything culminate together, our cries and groans echoing across the room to me. I hadn't heard that in so long from him, almost two months, and it felt like forever. I might never hear it again, and I couldn't decide if this DVD was the worst torture ever, or the greatest gift.

The screen faded to black and just as I was about to turn it off it zeroed back in to Dean in the motel room. He took the camera and zoomed in on me asleep in the bed and then turned it back, sitting in front of it like a confessional.

"Hey," he said with a smile, and I smiled back, I couldn't help myself. "I know this isn't gonna seem like much, but … I hope it helps, somehow, Beth. Because I need you strong, and I need you to know that I love you, and I need you, and I will always feel this way, forever. So, if things go down the way we're expecting them to, be strong, okay? I believe in you, I believe in us, and we are going to get through this, because... well because God doesn't give people these kind of feelings and then just takes them away, you know? I gotta believe that. So, I will see you again. Don't give up on me, because I'm never giving up on you."

I sobbed, and pulled my knees up to my chest, holding my legs. "Don't give up on me, because I'm never giving up on you," his voice played again as I jumped back on the DVD a bit, hitting play again. There was a knock at the door and I paused the DVD, swiping at my face as the tears continued to fall.

"Come in," I said, and Sam's head peeped around the door, looking at me worriedly.

"Hey, Beth, sorry... I just uh, I was going to the bathroom and I heard you... I just wanted to make sure you're okay," he said, stepping into the room and closing the door.

I shook my head, not trusting my voice to speak and I skipped back a little way on the DVD again, hitting play again. Dean came back on to the TV and the confessional played again, Sam stared at his brother on the screen, his mouth hanging open while Dean talked. When it was finished, I turned the TV off, and Sam looked over at me.

"Wow..." he said. "That's what Maggie gave you?" I nodded and he shook his head with a smile. "Wow... Dean... I uh I had no idea he was that..." he chuckled and came over to sit on the side of the bed.

"How are you? Really?"

I sighed and shrugged. "I'm not sure if that just made things better or worse..." I said and he nodded understandingly at me. "God, Sam, I swear he's been gone only a few months but I'd almost forgotten the real sound of his voice. You know, you always remember but it's filtered through your own perceptions, and it's not the same... to hear him again... I … we can't give up Sam, I need him back."

Sam nodded, taking my hand in his and squeezing. "We'll get him back, Beth, I promise."

I sighed and reached out to squeeze his shoulder then mess up his hair like I used to when he was a kid.

"How about you, Sam? How are you holding up?" I asked, for the first time actually checking in.

Sam paused and then nodded, looking down at his hands. "I'm dealing, it's frustrating, and feels like we're going in circles, but … we can't give up." He said, looking at me.

I sighed, sitting back in bed pulling the pillow under my chin, holding it to my body.

"How's the couch?" I asked and he snickered. "That bad? You want to crash in here? I don't know if I want to be alone tonight."

Sam looked sadly at me and then nodded. "Yeah, sure, that sounds good," he said. I moved over to the other side of the bed, there was plenty of room for the pair of us, and it wasn't as if we hadn't shared a bed our entire teenage years more or less anyway. Sam crawled in with me, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling.

"Good night," I said, laying on my side and looking at him. He turned his head and smiled at me.

"Good night Beth, get some rest," he said quietly, and then I smiled, rolling over and facing the other direction. Just his presence, having him in the room helped – knowing I didn't have to go through this alone, that he was missing Dean as much as I was. The three of us hadn't been apart in almost six years before Sam went to college, we were as close as you could expect, and then the fight between him and John had shattered everything. Just as we were getting back to something near what we'd had, Dean was taken from us. It didn't seem fair.

"I love you," Dean's voice echoed in my head as I fell asleep, and for a change I dreamed of him as I remembered him, happy and vibrant, not stuck in Hell in eternal torment.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

* * *

The song for this chapter is _Dark Paradise _by Lana Del Rey

* * *

The inspiration for the final scene came from a _Weeds _episode starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan. I've never seen the show, but EarthhAngel showed it to me when we were doing JDM video searches :D It's a haunting scene where his widow is watching a home movie of them making love, and it is to me the most beautiful love scene I've seen in a long time on TV (I just wish we got to see more!) Anyway, I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted to incorporate it into Dean and Beth's time apart, then when I saw Ghostfacers, well, the opportunity just wrote itself :D So this is dedicated to JDM and Mary-Louise Parker and their beautiful scene. Just look up "JDM in Weeds" on Youtube to see the scene.

* * *

I'm in the process of updating Season 1 _Highway To Hell_ too for the PDFs. I'm adding in a few little backstories here and there because I don't think my writing then was nearly as good as it is today, and I don't want people discouraged from continuing with the series when they start at _Highway to Hell. _On the plus side, it'll give you guys something to check out in between updates! They won't be massive changes, I'm just slotting a few tiny flashbacks in here and there (ie. Wendigo is going to have the first Wendigo hunt Beth went on with John, Dean & Sam, and a little pre-relationship angst) It's not up yet, probably won't be for a day or so, but it'll have the date on the title changed when I do get around to it, so stay tuned :)

* * *

I miss Dean, and I promise he'll be back soon! I'm ITCHING to get to_ Lazarus Rising_, but there's a little more story to be told yet.

* * *

Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Please leave me a review, it totally makes my day :D


	4. Dark Places

_**AN:**_It's a short one, I'm sure the next chapter will more than make up for it :) Some mention of torture, but not too bad.

* * *

_I will wander 'til the end of time, torn away from you._

_I pulled away to face the pain._  
_I close my eyes and drift away._  
_Over the fear that I will never find_  
_A way to heal my soul._  
_And I will wander 'til the end of time_  
_Torn away from you._

_My heart is broken_  
_Sweet sleep, my dark angel_  
_Deliver us from sorrow's hold_  
_(Over my heart)._

_I can't go on living this way_  
_But I can't go back the way I came_  
_Chained to this fear that I will never find_  
_A way to heal my soul_  
_And I will wander 'til the end of time_  
_Half alive without you_

* * *

**DARK PLACES**

* * *

_**Hastings, Nebraska  
(2.5 months after Dean's death)**_

**Beth's POV**

I poured another class of bourbon, and took a large swig, letting the burning sensation scratch down my throat with a grimace. Taking a step back, I assessed the woman tied to the chair inside the devil's trap we'd set up in the old abandoned warehouse. I fought off the sickness that filled my stomach, reciting in the back of my mind the _Litany of St Joseph _over and over, it helped dull the sensation, but it didn't take it away altogether.

Sam was pacing in front of her, looking a little worse for wear as she'd knocked him around a bit before I'd managed to trap her in the circle. I looked at him, frowning at the fact that he seemed to be a lot more intoxicated than I was. He'd been drinking heavily lately, but I couldn't exactly blame him.

"So, where were we?" I asked, taking up another jug of holy water and holding it in front of me.

"She was just about to tell us where we can get at Lilith," Sam said menacingly, his eyes full of anger.

"That's right!" I said, frowning at her. "Well?"

"Like I'd tell you even if I knew," the demon spat at us, glaring at us with black eyes.

"Sam?" I said, gesturing to the knife he held in his hand, Ruby's knife.

Sam raised an eyebrow and stepped forward to tower over the demon in its meatsuit. I always hated this bit, but I could do it if it meant getting Dean back. I was still surprised by the depths I was willing to sink to if it meant seeing him again.

Taking the knife, Sam dipped it into the holy water and dragged it across the forearm of the demon. She screeched in pain and gasped for breath, glaring at us.

"Lilith?" I asked pleasantly.

"Fuck off bitch!" She spat at me.

"Oh now that's not very nice," I said, I took a cup of holy water and threw it in her face. She groaned as it sizzled on the surface of her skin.

"Doesn't matter what you do to me whore, your husband isn't leaving Hell, he's ours now. He's screaming in pain even as we speak." She said to me, dark glittering eyes stared at me, piercing into my soul. I kept my poker face, but it was never easy to listen to.

Sam glanced at me, saw that I was holding it together and dragged another line across the arm again, this time twisting it a little deeper. She screamed again, the silver from the knife burning into her blood.

"Dean is Lilith's little bitch boy," the demon tormented. "He's getting a real good look into Hell and its particular, _pleasures _and pains. Your image seems to elicit the most torture out of him too…" she smirked and I was sure I paled at the thought.

I closed my eyes, willing myself to hold it together; it wasn't anything I hadn't heard a dozen times or more in the last few months. The demon smirked, watching me. Sam was pensively looking in my direction, and he shook his head when I looked at him. He was right, this poor excuse for a demon didn't know anything.

"You don't know anything," I said to her. "Give us the name of someone who does, and where to find them, and maybe we'll let you go."

The demon laughed, cackling like an old crone.

"No?" I asked, tilting my head to the side.

She leveled her eyes at me, daring me to do something. "You won't hurt the meatsuit, I know all about you," she said. "You know what this girl is going through, you want to save her."

I sighed at Sam, reaching out and he hesitated. I glared at him and he caved, giving me the knife. I moved over to the demon and leaned down heavily on the arms of the chair.

"You don't know me," I said to her, taking the knife and ramming it down into her thigh, twisting it. She pitched a scream, panting in pain and looked at me in surprise. She gulped a few times and tried to catch her breath.

"Wow… what would that self-righteous husband of yours say about this little turn of events with you?" She asked and that hit me hard. I stepped back, swallowing. Sam pulled me away to hide the fact that I was faltering, yanking the knife from her leg and causing her to yelp. He pulled me into the other room with a stern look.

"Don't listen to her!" He said, but it was too late.

"No, she's right Sam," I said, tears coming to my eyes. "What are we doing? How are we any better than them if we fall to the same level? I don't want Dean back if it means losing ourselves in the process." But I was lying , I would pretty much do anything to get him back, and we both knew it.

Footsteps fell behind us and we spun, but weren't fast enough. I found myself pulled back against a hard body, their arm twisting around my neck and holding me tight. Another guy grabbed Sam, holding him still as a tug on my centre revealed they were demons. A pretty blonde circled around Sam, taking the knife from him and caressing it along his cheek.

"Well if it isn't the Winchester clan, minus one," she said to us with a smirk.

"Who are you?" I asked, narrowing eyes at her.

She ignored me, looking into Sam's eyes and smiling. "Thanks for keeping this warm for me, Sam," she said quietly.

Sam frowned, looking at the woman; then recognition passed through his eyes.

"Ruby?" He asked, and she smiled at him.

"Back from the depths of Hell itself," she smirked, holding her arms out at her sides. "It's nice to be back. Where I was, even for Hell, it was nasty. I guess I really pissed Lilith off. Imagine my relief when she gave me one last chance to take it topside. And all I had to do was find you, and kill you," she said.

"No..." I said, struggling against the demon. "Get away from him!"

She turned to glare black eyes at me, shaking her head. "Take it easy Beth, I'm gonna send you to join your husband, and I'm gonna do that for nothing."

Turning back to Sam, she looked him over, and Sam looked defiantly at her. "Fine. Go head!" Sam said, throwing the demon holding him off and baring his neck, the guy released him, holding him by his hair only. "Do it! Just leave Beth alone," he said.

Ruby smirked and looked into his eyes, twirling the knife in her hand and then without warning she stabbed the demon holding him through the chin, yanking the knife out and spinning, sending the knife flying in my direction to embed in the forehead of the demon that had been holding me.

"Grab your keys. We gotta go. Now!" Ruby said, looking at Sam and then me.

I felt my head start to spin and it was as if I stopped breathing. There was only so much I could take a day before I just couldn't cope anymore. I'd just hit my breaking point for the day. I had to get out of there, I had to run. But first I was going to do what needed to be done. I turned on my heel, ignoring Ruby who was assessing Sam as he stared at her.

I stalked into the other room and leaned over the demon in the trap. She laughed at me again, but she was weakening.

"Last chance," I said. She simply sneered at me. "Have it your way."

I stood back out of the circle and started reciting the exorcism I could have said in my sleep now. The demon started to grunt and snarl at me, then she laughed hysterically as I neared the end. "I'll be sure to give hubby a kiss," I nearly stopped, it was like a kick to the guts. I finished reciting the final line, and felt a tear roll down my cheek as the cloud of smoke poured from the woman tied to the chair then sunk into the ground.

Scared eyes peered up at me, widening when she saw Sam and Ruby walk into the room with the knife. The girl who had been possessed seemed relatively all right other than the few gashes on her arm, plus the gaping wound on her leg. She started to whimper and I sighed, looking over at Sam who had come into the room.

"I can't do this anymore Sam," I said quietly, and I walked out the door, not looking back. I didn't stop until I reached the chapel across from our motel, pushing the door open and letting myself in. It was late afternoon, but I'd stopped counting time weeks ago.

Falling to my knees I let the sobs claim me. Memories returned of the time when the Trickster had played us, six months of looking for that creature to undo the horrid game it had played on us. Six months to undo it, just to get a few more months with Dean before he was pulled to Hell.

The reality was, it had only been half that time; almost three whole months, and we'd gotten nowhere. I didn't know how I was going to go through that again. I had a plan, if it all got too much. Dean would kill me himself if I went through with it, but I didn't care, I'd rather be in Hell with him than here on my own – but I needed more time to research, I needed time to exhaust all other avenues before resorting to such drastic measures.

Sam entered the church, looking at me and I glanced back to see Ruby standing in the doorway, watching us.

"Beth, come on, we have to go," he said, standing near me.

"How is the girl?" I asked.

"She'll live, I dropped her at the ER," he answered, "I got our things from the motel, Ruby says we have to go."

"No."

"No? Beth she just saved our lives!" Sam argued.

"I don't care! Our lives weren't in danger until she showed up, did you think about that?" I said, standing up and glaring in her direction. "Dean told me not to trust her, so I'm sorry, I'm not going with her, and you shouldn't either."

"Dean?! What would he know? She's only ever helped us, every step of the way, Dean didn't know what he was talking about," Sam said.

"Don't you talk about him like that! He knew things, things we didn't, and I'm sorry but I will always trust him over some demon, Sam. You should too." I snapped back at him. "Demons lie, all they do is lie!"

"You're wrong," Sam said, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but it was practically Dean's dying wish that I stay away from her, I'm not going with you," I said. I hoped that if I put my foot down Sam would see reason, it usually worked for Dean. Sam looked back at the chapel door where Ruby was starting to look impatient, gesturing at us to hurry up.

"I'm sorry Beth, I need to find out what she knows. She might have a way to get to Dean," Sam said. "I'm going, with or without you."

"Dammit Sam, don't do this to me!" I said, rubbing my temples. Even here in the church I got no respite anymore. I just wanted to rest, I wanted this nightmare to be over, but it just went on and on with no end in sight.

"Come with me Beth."

"No!" I said, shaking my head. "No, I can't."

He reached in to the jacket and pulled out the car keys, tossing them to me. "All right, have it your way," he said, shrugging and heading for the door.

"Sam!" I called out, and he turned back to me, looking at me with hope. I sighed, and looked at the keys in my hands, they felt heavy. I tossed them through the air to him, nodding that he should take the Impala.

"Leave my bag inside the chapel, and some weapons," I said quietly.

Sam sighed at me and nodded. "We're just doing the same thing Beth, we're trying to achieve the same thing."

"I know, just … give me a few weeks, or something. I can't be around her right now. I need to get my head on straight and I feel so sick, Sam, all the demons. I just... I need to not _feel them _for a while, okay?"

He nodded and walked back, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Yeah, okay, I get it Beth, I do. Just... stay safe okay, and stay in touch, I'll keep looking, and if you find anything, you call me," he said. I nodded into his chest, squeezing him to me. It felt like I was saying good bye to him for good, and I didn't know why that was, but there was a finality in the way he looked at me when he walked out of the chapel with Ruby. I had a feeling this was going to be a turning point for us, and not necessarily for the better.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

_I licked my lips, looking in trepidation at the cat-o-nine tails in the hands of the demon standing before me. My arms were strung out above my head, my legs mirroring them until I was spread-eagled and hanging in the darkness. The demon was a beautiful, yet evil woman dressed head to foot in tight black leather with silver spikes in places you didn't even want to think about. She smiled at me, a salacious and hungry smile as she swayed her arm back and forth with the whip. Sharp barbs stuck out from the ends of the tails, this was no ordinary cat-o-nine tails, it was designed for torture. I grit my teeth, but I knew I could never prepare for what was coming, the pain I was about to endure. Every nerve ending in my body screamed at me in protest, I felt my breath quicken just by looking at the whip; we hadn't even started yet. Alistair stepped in front of me, smiling and lifting my chin up to look me in the eyes._

"_Come on Dean, you can end this any moment you want, you know what to do," he said. _

_I shook my head, but it was with less conviction than I'd had twenty years ago. Ten thousand days... over ten thousand days of this torture and no end in sight. I had been abandoned, left for dead by anyone I had ever cared for. They must be dead by now, or living a new life, safe in the knowledge that I had sacrificed everything for them. I shook my head as soon as the thought came into my mind. No. I wouldn't believe it, but it hurt so much. Beth wouldn't leave me down here, she'd die trying to get me out. I had to believe that, I wouldn't give up on her. I sighed and lifted my head defiantly at Alistair one more time._

"_No," I said, dropping my head down again. No. I'd said it. Once again I'd stood up to him, once again I'd stuck to my principles. I wouldn't give in._

_Alistair sighed at me and walked away, waving a hand at the demon who was waiting patiently with a smile on her face. She walked up and looked at me with a grin, leaning in to lick along my face, enjoying herself. One hand reached down to grasp my dick and she stroked it, watching me as I fought her attentions. My body always betrayed me, regardless of what I wanted it to do, no matter what I thought about, and she enjoyed getting that little bit out of me, that moment where I felt the sweet rush of release, gasping from the pleasure even though my mind screamed for it to stop. _

_She pulled back when she was done, licking her hand clean and then brushed the whip along my thighs, sighing at me._

"_A little pleasure, a lot of pain. You Winchesters sure are stubborn," she said, kissing my neck and then walking behind me. I tensed, knowing what she had just done to me was nothing compared to what was coming. Gritting my teeth I took myself into a dark place deep within, one where I held on to the one thing keeping me sane, the one thing keeping me human. For a moment her face hovered in front of me, big brown eyes turning to smile at me, and then the first slash cut into my back, and she was gone as I screamed from the agony._

* * *

_**Lawrence, Kansas  
(Almost 3 months after Dean's death)**_

**Beth's POV**

I let myself into the house without an invitation. She'd know I was there regardless of what I did, so I just entered, closing the door behind me and listening to the woman prattle on to one of her clients. I took a seat and waited, not sure I wanted to go through with this.

"Beth, sweetheart, let me see you," Missouri said once she'd shown her client to the door. She came around the little screen that I was hiding behind and smiled at me. I stood up and she took my hands, her warm, caring eyes instantly turning to worry.

"Oh honey, you're not doing so well..." she said, and I shook my head, tears coming to my eyes.

"And Sam? Oh he's gone off with a demon? Stupid little boy. What happened to that nice girl, Jo?" she asked me as she guided me into the kitchen and sat me down at the little dining table tucked in a corner.

"Yes! Pretty little thing, came to your wedding. Didn't you know? I wouldn't be able to read it off you if you didn't," she said. She turned to put the kettle on, and then came to sit with me again.

"I... uh...no, I didn't know," I said with a frown, but it was starting to make sense. Sam and Jo had spent a lot of time together that night, and she'd visited us a few times since Dean had died. I'd thought she was mourning Dean and just wanted to be around us, after the big crush she'd had on him.

"Oh, she did have it bad for Dean," Missouri said as if reading my mind. "Poor thing, never had a chance. But things changed after you got pregnant..." I stared at her, unable to speak. "Sam and Jo have been a ... comfort to each other."

"Really?" I asked sceptically. "I mean... really?" She simply nodded at me.

"Well... she isn't now," I said. We hadn't seen her in almost a month, and I hadn't exactly been sorry about that, the girl made me uncomfortable. I shook my head, this wasn't something I wanted to deal with right now, at any point, Ruby was the one Sam was chasing around the country right now.

"I can't Missouri, I need to focus on Dean now, I need to see if everything they're saying is true," I said.

"But why? What good would it do to know?"

"Do you know?" I asked, looking in her eyes. "My dreams, are they real? Are they really what's happening to him?"

She looked at me with sad eyes, reaching out to take my hand again.

"Sweetheart, the pair of you have a bond that I haven't seen in many people... it's a real soul bond. Who knows what that allows you to do. I can't tell you one way or the other, but even if they were real, what good would it do to know?"

"I just need to know," I whispered. "He's a part of me, Missouri, he is. And if unconscious will can cause me to see what's happening to him, what could I achieve if I focused it somewhere? Could I talk to him? Could I cross over and somehow bring him back?"

"Oh Beth, you're talking dark magic, _dangerous magic, _your father wouldn't approve." Missouri said.

"Dad's not here! It's only me now. I'm all that's left to watch over Sam, but I can't do it alone... I can't. I'm not strong enough."

I looked into her eyes. "I need Dean. And if you won't help me, I'll find someone who will."

Missouri sat back, looking at me with quiet, assessing eyes, and then sighed. "There is a man, he might be able to help," she said. I nodded and sat back in my seat, allowing myself a moment to just rest.

"You're exhausted," Missouri said in a motherly tone, getting up and coming around to take my arm. "Come on, get up, I'm going to put you to bed."

"No... no," I shook my head, standing up and starting to pace. "No, take me to this man, I want to do this now." _Before I changed my mind, _I thought with an internal pain.

"Okay," Missouri said with a nod. "I'll call him, he can meet us here." I nodded.

An hour later the man, whose name was Ezra, looked at me with dark ringed eyes, his pale skin standing out against the black suit he wore. He looked like an undertaker, and I grimaced at the thought: Missouri had said he worked with the dead.

"So," he said in a slow, monotone voice. "You wish to speak with the dead."

"I want to raise the dead," I said, "but Missouri says you can't do that."

"No," he said simply.

"So what can you do?"

"I can open a door way for your soul to enter into the afterlife," he said.

"Anywhere in the afterlife?" I asked.

"If you wish," he said with a nod.

"Hell?"

He stopped and looked at me, frowning a disapproving stare.

"If you wish," he said finally.

"What do I have to do?"

"You have my payment?" He asked, and I nodded, sliding an envelope thick with cash across the table to him. He lifted it up and held it with a nod, looking pleased.

"You must know. I will need to call your soul back if you become lost, and even after you have returned, the connection may remain if your souls are bonded," he said. I bit my lip. The dreams were bad enough, but a constant connection to what was happening to Dean? Could I cope?

I steeled myself, I could do this. I had to do this. Maybe Dean would have some answers where no one else seemed to.

"I understand," I said, nodding at him. "Let's do it."

* * *

_**Dean's POV**_

_"Dean!" Beth's voice echoed toward me and I stirred in the darkness. It wouldn't be the first time I'd heard her, only to have it turn out to be a trick, some kind of game Alistair was playing on me._

_"Dean where are you?" Beth asked again and this time I looked up. She'd never said that, usually she knew exactly where I was._

_"Beth?" I asked through cracked lips, my throat hoarse from the last session I'd spent screaming. I looked down at my body, almost expecting to see it shredded and hanging in bloody ribbons, but I was completely healed, waiting for the next torment Alistair dreamed up._

_"Where are you?"_

_"I'm here," I said, struggling to my feet and trying to fight the bonds holding me._

_"I'm coming," she said and I frowned. What did she mean by that? In the darkness there was a shimmering light that started to build and then I could barely believe my eyes as Beth stepped through it. She hadn't changed at all, she was still the same woman I'd left behind thirty years ago. She saw me and she ran over, grasping my face in her hands._

_"Dean!" She said. "I knew I'd find you," she said, kissing my lips. I waited for the moment where she'd transform, but it never came, so I kissed her back, drinking from her like I was a blind man lost in the desert and had just been shown the oasis._

_"Beth, how did you get here?" I asked, pulling back from her as she stroked along my face, tears running down her cheeks._

_"It's a long story, I have to get you out... I don't know if I can, I don't know... but we have to..." She froze as a laugh went out from behind us, and the darkness lit up to reveal more than a dozen demons standing in the wings, waiting._

_"Well, well, well, what have we here? A visitor!" Alistair said, stepping forward. With a snap of his hands Beth was suddenly pinned to a rack and I struggled, looking up._

_"Alistair, no... don't. She doesn't belong here, you can't!" I said, looking frantically at Beth._

_"Well, as far as I can tell, Beth here is trespassing," Alistair said, walking over to her. "I think that requires a little punishment. Let's start by having her watch," he said._

_"No... no... you can't," I said, shaking my head. But I knew there was nothing I could do._

_One of Alistair's star pupils stepped forward and I eyed him with a quiet fear, groaning internally. So far, his torture had been the worst, and it looked like I was in for some more._

_He took a nasty looking fillet knife from off the table of tools and walked over, swinging the rack I was attached to back so that I was lying and staring up. He hovered beside me, looking at his knife and then he smiled, saying nothing.  
_  
_I bit my lip as the knife slid into me, going deep. It only stung for a little while, and I groaned. Just as I thought it couldn't get any worse he twisted, and I felt the tendon in my arm separate from the bone, the knife sliding through the muscle and then the demon took another tool, like a pair of large pliers, and took the tendon in hand, yanking it away and causing me to cry out in agony._

_"Nooo!" Beth yelled, crying as she watched what was being done to me._

_The process was repeated, again and again until there was nearly nothing left, and I was a quivering, snivelling mess and begging for it to stop._

_"You know what I need to hear from you Dean," Alistair said and I shook my head. I couldn't, I wouldn't._

_"Bring me the girl," Alistair said and I couldn't even fight as they pulled Beth over, I looked frantically at her and she sobbed, seeing the mess of my body. It would be whole again tomorrow, I knew this, but it didn't help things right in this moment. "You're just an apparition Beth, you can't help him. No one can help him, he's mine now," he said. Beth shook her head, refusing to listen. Alistair took a knife in hand and with one swift motion he rammed it deep into her stomach._

_"Noo!" I yelled as she spit up blood, looking shocked at the knife protruding from her body, then fell to the floor as the life went out of her eyes. "No..." I muttered, pulled against my restraints, just wanting to touch her._

_"Pull him apart piece by piece until he says yes." Alistair instructed my torturer who looked at me with a sickening grin. I steeled myself, my breath coming in rapid, panicked bursts. I didn't know how much more I could take of this._

_"Stop!" I said, struggling against my bonds and fighting to get loose in spite of the pain I was in._

* * *

_**Lawrence, Kansas**_

**Beth's POV**

I woke up with a gasp, clutching at my stomach and crying. "No!"

Missouri was right next to me, sliding her arm around my shoulders as she looked worriedly at Ezra. "What happened?"

"They found me... they... they stabbed me," I said, barely getting the words out. My stomach felt like it had been gutted and then I retched, somehow managing to get to my feet and stumble toward the bathroom off the room we were in. I made it to the toilet just as I threw up, bile and vomit pouring from my body in waves.

I knelt at the toilet, tears flowing down my face as I thought about what I'd seen. I'd touched him, I'd felt him in my hands and he was ripped from me once again. I couldn't do this again, I had to find a way.

Grabbing the towel off the hand rack I wiped my face off, and stood up, looking in the mirror. Dark circles ringed my eyes, and my hair hung in long, dry strands around my face, I was a mess. Washing my face and rinsing out my mouth, I came back into the room where Missouri and Ezra were waiting patiently.

"It didn't work, I couldn't free him," I said to Ezra. He shook his head.

"It was just a window into the place, you will need a lot more than a spell to bring him out of Hell alive and into a fully healed body," he said. I sucked in a breath, wondering what it would take.

"There has to be a way," I said.

"Only God would know," he said, holding his hands up. "You must pray."

"I've been praying! I couldn't pray any harder if I tried!" I snapped, running a hand through my hair.

"You need someone to open a doorway, Beth, to safely bring Dean's soul through into the world of the living again," Missouri said and I paused.

"A doorway?"

"Of sorts, yes," she said with a nod. "Why? What are you thinking?"

I smiled, contemplating, would it work? It would be risky.

"I may know of someone who can do that," I said, looking out the window. If I left now I could stop over at Lisa's on the way, and be there in a day and a half.

* * *

_**Somewhere outside New York**_

**Beth's POV**

I'd talked myself out of doing this a dozen times in the ride from Indiana, but I was determined, I had to know if he could do it – no matter the risk. Of course, he wasn't likely to be very happy with me given the circumstances of how we'd last parted, but that was a risk I was willing to take. On the plus side, if I fell victim to this particular god's influence, I'd be likely to end up on the end of a suicide death wish, which would only put my next plan into action anyway.

I parked the bike next to a tree and walked over to where we'd been last New Years Eve. It had been a good eight months since I'd last set eyes on this place but I knew where to start digging.

The sun was hot overhead but I didn't want to wait until dark. I had tied a small shovel to the side of the bike once I got to town, and now I collected it, moving into place. It took me thirty minutes to find what I was looking for. I dug into the soft sandy ground and heard the _chink _ of a box.

My breath catching, I dug faster, uncovering the coffin we'd had custom made for a small fortune. Dean had nailed it closed, and I used a crowbar to pry open the lid, careful not to jostle the contents too much.

A small mirror in my back pocket, I carefully eased the box's lid back, looking inside. We'd found a glazier who had thought it an odd request to have a coffin lined in mirrors until we'd explained that the person it was for had been a bit of a narcissist and considered themselves on par with Zsa Zsa Gabor: then he'd found it incredibly amusing.

I crouched, feet on the edges of the coffin while I looked down at the being in front of me. He was mid-transformation, the only way Jefferson had known to catch him and put a stop to his havoc. I swallowed, considering what I was about to do, basically, release a monster back into the world... one I'd helped catch in the first place.

"God help me," I whispered, tears in my eyes as I reached down and pulled the young man out of the box, breaking his connection to the mirror where he had been staring.

Instantly I found myself flung out of the hole and on to the ground, angry eyes flaring at me as he stalked toward me, towering over me.

"Why I oughtta!"

"Please!" I cried out, holding my hand out. "Please, hear me out."

He paused and looked at me, pulling a pair of glasses out of his pocket and putting them on, taking a breath and then releasing it as he looked at me with cold assessing eyes.

"Janus... please, I know I have no right to ask," I said, getting to my feet. "But I'm desperate, I'm so, so desperate that I have just done something that goes against every fibre of my being."

He looked haughtily at me, raising an eyebrow and then reaching out a hand toward me. I fought against stepping back, knowing this was how he worked, through touch, and if I had any hope in hell of getting him to help me, he would need to see what I was feeling inside.

Janus' brow furrowed into a frown when he touched me, and he reached out with another hand, holding me between his two extended arms.

"So much pain... so much sorrow," he said, looking up at me and I saw the shimmering begin that indicated he was about to transform. Suddenly he was looking at me with sad eyes, his hair a little more ruffled, a five-o'clock shadow on his jaws, and he removed the glasses he was wearing, tucking them into his pants.

"He is gone," Bif said to me and I nodded.

"Please help me," I said, my voice almost cracking.

"How?"

"You are a god of thresholds, you can open a doorway into Hell, help me bring him back," I said.

"No."

"Please, I'm begging you," I said, falling to my knees in front of him and grasping at his hands. "Please, there's no one else, we've tried everything!"

"Beth I can't... I would help if I could but it's beyond my powers," he said, pulling me to my feet. "I'm sorry." I started to sob and he pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly.

"I like you," he said as he held me. "I liked Dean, I didn't want him to die."

"I can't go on without him," I said, my face buried in his chest as he held me.

I found myself pulled back from that small comfort and Janus had reappeared, my mind reeled at how fast he could change, how schizophrenic this god was.

"What you did to me was not fitting for a God, you must all be punished, but especially you," he said.

"Go ahead," I said, shoving him angrily. "You couldn't do anything worse to me than what I'm already going through."

"Oh I don't know about that," Janus said with a grin, reaching out a hand. "I will send you to join him, and see how you like the tortures of Hell."

"No!" A woman's voice sounded behind us and he spun to look at the intruder. She was a young woman with curly strawberry blonde hair that fell down her back and cascaded over her shoulders. She had piercing blue eyes, a long narrow nose, and thin, smiling lips.

"Sariel," he said breathlessly, stepping away from me, fear almost in his eyes.

"Hello brother," she said, tilting her head to him. She turned eyes to me and sighed sadly. "Leave her, she has work to do."

"Who are you?" I asked, frowning and crossing my arms.

"A shadow," said a voice from beside me. I jumped, not having heard them approach and that was rare for me. The man beside me was calm and had very little expression in his face, he turned to me and frowned, it was as if he was looking into my soul. I'd never seen him before, tall, blonde and athletic, he reached forward a hand toward me and I backed away, running into Janus.

"You must come with me, it is time," the woman, Sariel, said to Janus and he shook his head.

"Beth," the other man said to me, ignoring the conversation. "It's going to be all right Beth, we haven't forsaken you."

"Who are you?" I asked, frowning and looking from the woman to the man.

The man walked up to me and touched my forehead and I felt myself go limp, falling into a while light.

I woke up with a start in the Impala, and looked around frantically. How did I get here? My stomach felt sick to the core, like I'd just thrown up what little food I'd had in there, and my head was throbbing, as if my brain was pounding against the bone.

"God..." I muttered, rubbing my temples. "What the hell was that?" Who had those people been? Clearly they were gods of some sort, the girl had called Janus 'brother', but I'd never heard of a Roman Goddess named Sariel, and who had the blonde man been?

I looked around me again, at the familiar seat which I'd spent half my life sitting on. Our home, the only home we'd ever known for so long. The Impala, which meant Sam had to be here. The realisation hit me and I quickly climbed out of the passenger door, heading for the motel room the Impala was parked in front of. I'd been gone for weeks and he hadn't called once. I'd phoned, always getting voicemail and updating him on what I was doing, but I hadn't heard from him since the night he'd left with Ruby.

I knocked quietly on the door and turned the handle, it was open; with a frown I let myself into the room, and walked around the little wall that separated the door from the rest of the room. I realised my intrusion the moment I heard the telltale grunting of two people in the throes of their passion.

Suddenly, I knew exactly what it had been like for Sam to walk in on Dean and me, because I'd just done precisely the same thing. I froze, seeing them on the bed in a twisted, tangle of sweaty limbs, Sam moving almost frantically on top of the girl, thrusting with a ferocity that I'd frankly never wanted to see coming from my brother. I covered my eyes and then I heard the girl's voice as her face thrashed to the side.

"Sam, oh yes Sam... Sam!"

I started to leave but she took a knife from under the pillow and every instinct told me she was about to kill my brother, I moved then, swiftly grabbing her arm and twisting it, breaking her hold on the knife as she cried out.

"Sam!" I gasped, and he pulled back, turning confused eyes to me.

"Beth?" He asked. "What are... what are you doing here? Jesus Christ!" He snapped, pulling away from the girl and tugging the sheet over the pair of them.

"She was going to stab you!" I said, "who the hell is she?" I asked.

Sam glanced at the girl who was staying quiet, hiding beneath the sheets.

"She wasn't going to stab me, Beth... Jesus!" Sam snapped and I was a little taken aback. "Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

"I did knock!" I said, turning away and feeling myself turn red.

"Well, did I answer? No! I was kind of in the middle of something!"

"Well I'm sorry!" I yelled back, "Geez, you're acting like this hasn't happened before, what the hell is wrong with you? You ever see me or Dean taking this attitude with you whenever you made the same mistake?"

Sam laughed and rolled his eyes at me, pulling on a pair of shorts. "What? Like every damn day? It was kind of inevitable it was going to happen, wasn't it? You two wouldn't know a bit of abstinence if it bit you in the ass!"

"Hey!" I yelled. That wasn't true and he knew it, what the hell was wrong with him?

"No, you know what, just forget it Beth, forget it. What are you doing here anyway?" He asked, reaching for a bottle of whiskey and taking a long swig while the girl gathered up some clothes and hurried into the bathroom.

"I need to talk to you," I said.

"I'm listening."

"You wouldn't know it to look at you, what is your problem?" I asked.

"Nothing!"

"Right... well... I..." Suddenly I didn't know what I was going to say. I felt the heaviness in my heart again as I realised I'd failed yet again to find a way to Dean.

"Spit it out Beth," Sam said.

"I just wanted to see you, have you had any progress?" I asked, and he shook his head.

"No... no Ruby says there's nothing she can do to get Dean out of there," he said. "No one can."

"Ruby!" I muttered, shaking my head.

"Yes, Ruby!" He said, stepping up to me. "You know, the one who has actually stuck by me here, and helped me these last few weeks."

"Help you do what? Drink your way to the bottom of a bottle? What the Hell Sam?" I asked, yanking the bottle out of his hands and holding it away from him.

"Hey! What do you care? What does anyone care? My _brother _is in _Hell _and he's not getting out, and it's all my fault!" He said.

"That's not true," I said, reaching out for him.

He hit my hand away and I flinched at the contact from him.

"You know what, you're right, it's not my fault..." he said, waving a hand dismissively at me and going to the table where several other bottles of booze were sitting. He took a swig from one of them and looked back at me angrily.

"It's yours, Beth. It's your fault," he said and he might as well have been carving out my heart.

"I know," I said, tears welling in my eyes.

"No, you don't!" Sam yelled at me. "You have no idea!"

"Don't you talk to me like that!" I snapped back at him. "I do know, better than anyone, I was the one who made that deal, I was the one who couldn't get him out of it, and dammit I see what it's doing to him every goddamn day because I dream it! I see it with my own eyes. I was... I went to Missouri and there was a man who opened a window into Hell, Sam... and I felt him, for a moment I had him in my hands and then he was ripped from me and..." I stopped, Sam was staring at me.

"And what?"

"And what they're doing to him down there?" I shook my head, wrapping my arms around myself.

"It should be you," he said, it was like a low blow to the stomach.

"Sam!"

"No, it should be you. You make Dean weak, you make us all weak, and I should have seen it a long time ago. I should never have told Dad to bring you with us, he should have left you in Wisconsin." I could barely believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.

"You don't mean that," I said.

"Just go Beth, I don't want to be around you, you're poison," he said, shaking his head.

* * *

_**Pontiac, Illinois  
(Beth's Birthday - 3 months after Dean's death)**_

I don't know how long I had lain here in the open, days, but it all seemed to roll into one. If it had been Winter I'd no doubt be dead from exposure, but it was Summer, and so I just lay, waiting to die or for some other sign, I didn't know which.

I didn't have pie for this sunrise, it just seemed so pointless to even bother. If I had my way it would be the last birthday I'd see anyway. I sat in the middle of the clearing, the plain white cross at my back as I stared at the horizon. The trees were silhouetted against the wash of pink that flared across the sky and I took another sip of the bourbon in my hand, looking at the pill bottle I'd taken from the pharmacy I'd broken into several nights ago.

So Ruby said there was no way to get Dean out of Hell, so be it, if I couldn't get him out, I would join him. For over a month I'd been considering the sin of suicide, something that didn't seem would get me to Hell at first, but the more I read about it and canonical law, it seemed inevitable that I would have to be going downstairs for taking my own life.

It really was the bottom of the list of my plans, but nothing else had worked until this point, and after seeing what I'd seen, and still seeing it every night in my dreams, I couldn't bear it any longer on my own. Sam had been right, everything I touched died, and even my own brother didn't want anything to do with me.

I looked at the pills as the sun rose into the sky, taking a couple of gulps of bourbon and lying down on the green grass underneath me. I stared up at my wedding ring, nestled in Dean's on my finger and sobbed, I couldn't do it, what if it didn't work? But what if it was the only way? The sun rose higher and higher in the sky and I lay here, still waiting for a sign, anything to tell me what to do next.

"_I'm never giving up on you," _Dean's voice from the DVD echoed in my mind over and over, I'd watched it so many times, trying to be strong like he wanted, but I couldn't feel it. He wasn't here, he had always been here, every year since I turned sixteen. But not today. The sobs wracked my chest and I ached all over.

I'd never known what it was to ache from crying, to feel as if every cell in your body was in pain, and it was all from a broken heart.

The sound of a car engine drove past and then stopped, and I could hear people talking urgently among themselves. I sighed, it had been weeks since I'd spoken to another human being. I was so tired, I just wanted to sleep, but that was when the dreams came.

"Over here!" I heard someone call out and then there were hands on my shoulders, lifting me up.

"Oh Beth!" Cole's voice said as she lifted me into her lap, my head resting on her chest. "She's terribly dehydrated..." she said and someone reached down to take the pills out of my hand.

"Well you won't be needing these," Jefferson said with a sigh, and I opened my eyes to see him pocketing the bottle.

"Leave me alone," I moaned, pushing at Cole.

"Yeah, right!" Cole said, "I don't think so baby girl." I felt myself lifted off the ground and I kicked out, fighting Jefferson who had picked me up.

"No! No, I don't want to go. Just leave me here with him," I managed to twist out of Jefferson's arms and landed on the ground, my forehead to the ground in front of the cross. Fresh tears fell from my eyes as I shuddered, racked with the pain and guilt of being the reason Dean had gone to Hell.

"Beth, this isn't going to fix anything," Cole said with a sigh, reaching down to grasp my shoulders and pull me up into a kneeling position. "Come on, we're taking you home."

"I don't want to..."

"Yeah, we know you don't Princess, but you're going anyway," Jefferson said, picking me up again. This time I didn't fight him, I felt too weak from days of laying here. It was as if the three months hadn't happened, and I was lying here next to Dean's body all over again.

"Let's go," Jefferson said to Cole and she nodded.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked as Cole sat in the back with me, holding me close.

"To Bobby's," Jefferson said, starting up his vehicle and pulling away from the clearing, moving out on to the road.

"I don't want to..." I said.

"Well you can't stay here," Cole said in a frustrated tone.

"When you're well again, we'll talk," Jefferson said looking at me in the mirror.

I sighed and lay down, my head in Cole's lap as he drove. It would take hours to get to Bobby's and all I wanted to do was sleep.

* * *

_**Later that night**_

Cole came into the living room carrying two mugs of coffee, handing one to me. I stared into the fire in the hearth, flashing her a smile.

"Thanks."

"No problem, you look like Hell," she said with a chuckle, sitting at the other end of the couch.

"Well, I feel a lot better, thank you," I said quietly, staring back into the fire. At least I no longer felt suicidal, I was strong again and the determination was back. I just didn't know where to start with it. I'd hit a brick wall, and now all I seemed to do was pray in the hopes that someone was listening.

Jefferson had disappeared into town, and I was left with a fussing old man and his daughter to watch over me for the evening, the only ray of sunshine we had was of the little boy now old enough to be running around the house and laughing wickedly as he got into things he shouldn't. Bobby's hair seemed to have turned a shade whiter overnight since having JJ back in the house, and he was cursing himself for not having baby proofed a little better.

"So, tell me about the dreams," Cole said, looking at me pointedly. I looked at her as if I didn't know what she was talking about, but her eyes told me otherwise, her eyes looked at me like I was an open book.

I shrugged. "What's to tell? Missouri said it was because we're so close, that our connection causes me to tap in, I guess, to what he's going through. I have no way of knowing if they're really real or not," I said, taking a sip out of my mug. I believed them to be real, but I was also keenly aware just how much it sounded like I needed to be committed to a crazy house.

"Oh they're real," Cole said softly and I glanced up at her, frowning.

"How do you know?"

She looked at me, a sadness in her eyes and then inclined her head. "Because I went through the same thing with John," she said, biting her lip. "For almost a year... that's why I disappeared, it was too much and I knew no one would believe me, they'd think I was mad, or making it up. But it was real Beth, as real as you and I sitting here."

I nodded, twisting to look at her. "I know, and I don't know if it makes things worse or not. I don't know how long I can go on like this. Every time I close my eyes he's there, in pain, sometimes even when I'm wide awake since I went to Kansas...and there's not a thing I can do to help!"

Cole looked at me sadly again, shaking her head. "I know, and I don't have any answers for you, but you gotta stay strong. It's what Dean would want."

I bit my lip, staring back into the fire and nodded. "Yeah, I know..."

"And Sam?"

"What about him?" I asked, not looking up, a dull ache starting in my chest.

"Where is he?"

"Gone," I said.

"Gone where?" She asked.

"I don't know, to find a way to save Dean, apparently," I said with a shrug.

"He left you?" She asked, clearly not approving of his actions.

I couldn't talk about it, it was still too raw and hurt too much. I didn't know what had come over him, what had made him say such painful things to me. But he was right, I was poison, and I knew that - I should have died the day I killed my father.

"I don't want to talk about it," I said quietly, taking a sip of my coffee.

"I thought Dean made him promise to look after you, that's what he told me," Cole said and I frowned, I'd forgotten that. I shook my head.

"It was never Sam's job to protect me, it's mine to watch over him," I said.

"Bull! He promised Dean, and he left you, and he didn't call any of us to say it had happened." She was glaring, fury apparent in her voice.

"He's lost his brother, Cole."

"We've all lost a brother! You see me taking off and abandoning you?"

"It's not the same," I said quietly.

"Look, I know, okay? I know it's not, but it's still not good enough, when I get my hands on that scrawny scarecrow, I'm gonna give him a good hiding!" Cole threatened.

"'Cause that'll help," I said with a chuckle, shaking my head at her.

"Well, he's old enough now, about time someone put him in his place, you and Dean spend too much time babying him." I sighed, there was no arguing with her once she put her mind to something.

"Okay, well while you plot Sam's demise, I'm going to go up to bed and get some sleep," I said with a chuckle.

"Okay, just yell if you need anything," she said, nodding at me.

"Yeah, I will, good night," I said, standing up and looking toward the stairs. I hadn't been here since Christmas, and I only had good memories of the spare room where Dean had hung Christmas lights in there. I hesitated, looking up the stairs. I wasn't even sure if Dean had taken those lights down, for all I knew they might still be in there. Cole stood up, suddenly seeming to realise what was wrong.

"I can bring you a blanket and pillow if you want, why don't you sleep in front of the fire?" I nodded, breathing a sigh of relief, anything to avoid going into that room, to have to sleep in the very bed where I'd finally confessed to him that I didn't want to be without him and we'd lay in the dark stealing forbidden kisses and holding each other; where we'd shared numerous nights making love; where we'd argued and fought and made up all in the space of a day; where we'd shared our dreams. It was our little home away from home, and now he was gone and it was empty. I couldn't go up there.

Cole returned with the blanket and pillow and I smiled, slipping into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and making up the couch. I lay down, staring at the fire as it burned in the hearth, lulling me off to a deep sleep.

_Fire and brimstone. Whoever wrote that about Hell hadn't been wrong. Everywhere I looked it was a red pit of despair. I hovered as if a spirit over the dead and the dying, listening to their cries of pain and anguish. One voice stood out among the others, and I watched in horror as he lay tied to the rack, and I couldn't even watch what they were doing. These demons were creative, how could they do this to each other? It was beyond excruciating to watch._

_Hazel eyes stared into the darkness as his broken voice sobbed and begged to be released from his current torment. I cried with him as something inside of him splintered, I could see it in his eyes, the way he looked wildly around for a familiar point of reference, for something to hold on to. But there was nothing. He couldn't see me, and I couldn't save him._

_A demon came to stand over Dean, looking down at him. He ran a hand along the latter's face, almost gentle in its touch. "Come on Dean, get off the rack, end this torment."_

_Dean licked his lips, a single tear running down his cheek as he closed his eyes, and with a single nod, the deal was done. With a snap of his fingers, the demon made Dean whole again, his body no longer ripped to shreds, and he stood up, a look of defeat in his eyes._

_A whip was placed in his hand and another soul was dragged screaming to the rack and tied in his place. It was a young girl, or so she appeared. Dean hesitated for a moment, and then gripped the whip tightly, shaking his head. He looked at her, a haunted expression on his face, and then I heard him whisper._

_"I'm sorry..." he said softly before drawing the whip back and then swinging it forward as hard as he could._

I sat up in the darkness, gasping and clutching at the covers, the fire had long gone out and I was staring at the shadows in the living room cast from the full moon outside. "Oh no," I said, shaking my head. My bare feet hit the floor as I jumped out of bed, padding down the stairs and out into the night. I found myself out at the back of the gym, in the little garden Sam had created as a memorial to our son.

It glowed almost ethereal in the light from the moon and I knelt next to the magnolia and the little baby angel statue, touching the face before looking up into the sky.

"Please," I said, clasping at my rosary, searching for the words that I'd said a hundred times over now. "I don't know who is listening, I don't know if anyone is listening, but I have to believe you are. Please. I need help. I know I've asked again and again, but I'm going to keep asking, because I'm not giving up on him, I won't, I can't. Please. If anyone is listening, he'll break from this, he will break and I'll lose him. I need to get him out, soon, before I lose him forever. I'll do anything you ask of me, anything, just help, don't leave him there – he shouldn't be there, all he's ever done is help the people around him, he doesn't deserve this. Please. I'm begging, please."

I waited, wanting to believe my mother and how she'd told me angels were watching over me. Nothing made sense to me. Gods, sure, they came and they went – most of them we killed. Sometimes they dumped you in the middle of Impalas and basically destroyed your world, that made sense to me, they were dicks. But angels? What had they ever done for me? Where were they when I needed them the most? My mother had said they were watching over me, that I should always pray and ask for their guidance and protection.

I thought back to Dean and the first time we'd met, and he'd told me he didn't believe in angels. Now... twenty years later... I was starting to feel the same way. I looked at the St Anthony medallion hanging around my neck and smiled sadly.

"St Anthony, I pray, grant that I may be restored to that which I have lost, which has been taken from me. Grant me your aid, intercede for me that God may grant my request, and I promise to do better, be better, to devote my life to the aid of others as I have always done. Just bring him back to me, help me find the way."

The silver glinted under the full moon and I sighed, thinking to the dream as I moved to sit on the bench under the tree. I closed my eyes, shaking my head. I couldn't stay here, I just wanted to be alone, to think about what came next without having to worry about who I was putting in danger next. It would be best to leave tonight, while everyone slept, and I steeled my resolve, moving back inside where I got dressed in my jeans, pulling on my favourite leather jacket. I stuffed the rest of my belongings in my duffel and moved into the kitchen, finding some paper and scribbling a note for Bobby and Cole.

"Where do you think you're going young lady?" Bobby asked and I jumped, having not heard him.

"Jesus Bobby, you scared the daylights out of me," I said, turning to face him.

"That was the point."

"I need to go," I said, skipping the pleasantries. "I can't stay here, I just … I need to be alone."

"I'm not letting you walk out of here alone," he said, standing against the door.

"You can't stop me Bobby," I said with a sigh.

"Let her go," Cole's voice sounded from behind me and I turned. There was an understanding in her eyes as she looked at me and took a step forward.

"I'm trusting you not to do anything stupid, like swallow a bottle of pills. Sam's not the only one Dean made promise to look after you," she said. I nodded.

She handed me a set of keys to a bike and I stared at them, was this my bike? Had Bobby collected it from the side of the road all those months ago? No, this was a different bike, but it would certainly make do.

"Don't be a stranger," she whispered but she of all people knew what it was to disappear off the face of the earth when you were grieving. She'd only just started reconnecting with us since John had gotten out of Hell, and even then she was gone like the wind as soon as something spooked her. Whatever she was running from, she wasn't talking about, no matter who tried to get some sense out of her, she was playing it all very close to the chest.

I nodded and walked out into the moonlight, rolling the bike with me as I walked away from the house. I knew where I was going, but I didn't know why, I just knew that I had to go somewhere to be alone, to pray and to plan, and I had to be somewhere Dean could find me, because I wasn't done here. I would never be done.

"Where are you going?" Bobby called out from the porch as I stopped to look back at them.

"Back to the beginning."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

* * *

Song for this chapter is _My Heart Is Broken _by Evanescence. Seems I like these guys for the heart breaking, _I want to die I love Dean so much_ kind of episodes LOL

* * *

Next up is _Lazarus Rising _THANK GOD!

* * *

This is also the first little peak at Sariel – the OFC for my other fanfic (when I get around to writing it), and her role in this story will play out more once I get the Gabriel fanfic happening!

* * *

For all the newcomers, Cole is from my friend EarthhAngel's fanfic _How To Save A Life –_ be sure to go check it out for some John Winchester focused writing, plus a little Dean & Beth back story!

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Thank you to everyone who left reviews in the last few days – I treasure them all! I will be replying to them very soon, I just got on a roll with his and wanted to get it out first :)

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Please keep leaving me reviews – they completely make my day!


	5. Lazarus Rising

_I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more_

_Time stands still_  
_Beauty in all she is_  
_I will be brave_  
_I will not let anything take away_  
_What's standing in front of me_  
_Every breath_  
_Every hour has come to this_

_One step closer_

* * *

**LAZARUS RISING**

* * *

_The air sizzled around me, enclosing my very skin like a latex glove. It was suffocating, and if I breathed too deeply, the stench of sulphur descended my nostrils with something more – the smell of singed hair, rotting flesh, and old blood spilled recklessly. This was the foul stench of desolated souls, the barren wasteland of one's final humiliation before breaking. _

_I stared in silent horror at the impaled heads around me, at the discarded bodies I was walking on and the fires that burned them. The sky above was a swirling vortex of reds, violets and dark greys, all centring around the Fall, the opening to the one place you never wanted to find yourself, it was a one way descent into a black pit of despair._

_My eyes caught sight of him in the distance, wading through a sea of bodies, all broken and scattered before him. He was naked but for a single black cape that trailed down from his left shoulder, the right side bare except for symbols burned into his perfect flesh, red, sore and bloody._

_A tall, thin woman came into view, stalking along the dead and dying, crushing them underfoot. She moved up to him standing alone at the apex of bodies, and took him in hand as she ran a tongue along his shoulder, licking the blood from where it lay. He didn't try to resist, a tired resignation to his shoulders while he hung his head as if ashamed of all he was doing and had done._

_I started to run with a grace that was not my own. My feet almost floated over the bodies. This was it, the moment and it had to be taken now. She looked up and her eyes flashed white, she screamed a protest as I bridged the distance between us. He turned, hazel eyes staring at me, shocked in recognition. _

_The woman snarled, pulling a sword from her side and swung it. "Dean!" I screamed, reaching for him. I flew through the air, grabbing a hold of his arm, slick from blood, but I held on. There was a roar of anger as the woman tried to cut him away, but the deed was done, I had him. I pulled, and with a mighty cry we ascended upon the screams of a million dying souls._

I awoke with a start, sitting straight up in bed. "Dean!" I whispered to the empty room, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. Tiny cracks of light streamed through the open curtains as the sun started to make its way into the sky.

Not again.

How many times would I have to dream of this horror? The spell had been powerful, our bond too strong. Every time I closed my eyes I dreamed of Hell, I saw what he went through, I lived it with him. I hadn't slept more than a few hours since the spell, and it was wearing on me. I had started hallucinating, seeing Dean where he wasn't, apparitions in the car, in the kitchen, while I showered: even in the chapel – nowhere was too sacred for his tormented soul to find me.

I sighed and swung my legs out of bed. I slipped into my robe and slippers, sticking my head out of the bedroom door. The light was on downstairs, and I frowned, it couldn't be later than 5am, yet he was up?

Slipping down the stairs I stood in the doorway watching as the blond, blue-eyed man pottered around the kitchen, taking a pot of coffee off the percolator and pouring out two cups of coffee, adding milk and sugar to them both, just how we liked it.

"Good morning," he said, turning with a wicked grin and twinkle to his eyes.

I smirked, crossing my arms. "How did you know I was awake?" I asked.

"You're always awake at this hour," Jefferson quipped, handing me the cup. I held it under my nose and breathed in deeply, watching him as he took a sip and quietly assessed my mental state.

"I had the most... horrifying dream." I said to him, shaking my head, willing the images to leave. "I dreamed I pulled Dean out of Hell." He raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"How is that horrifying?" He asked curiously.

I put the cup down on the island bench between us and walked around to face him, holding my hands in the air. "Well clearly it was just a dream!" I said, sighing, tears in my eyes.

Jefferson pulled me in to his arms and held me close. "I'm sorry Princess," he said quietly, simply holding me.

"Yeah," I sighed, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Me too."

* * *

_**6 weeks ago**_

**Beth's POV**

There was someone following me as I flew along the roads. It wasn't a motorcycle, but it was fast, and it wasn't going to be left in my wake, that was for sure. I slowed, realising that there was no point getting myself killed and I reached behind me to the gun that was tucked into my waistband at the small of my back, pulling it out as the car following me rocketed past.

A "beep beep" that sounded suspiciously like the Warner Brothers _Roadrunner _sounded as the car cut in front andI groaned, pulling over to the side of the road, the car following suit. I tucked the gun back and pulled the helmet off my head, climbing off the bike and standing nearby, waiting for my stalker to reveal himself.

I was looking at a 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner in a burnt orange colour, white ragtop, with black lines down the hood and trunk. There was only one person in the world I knew who drove one of these, and he was about as dangerous to me as Mickey Mouse. Jefferson grinned as he got out of the car, reaching in to beep the horn one more time, and it was definitely Roadrunner speaking to me. He'd once told me he bought the car for the horn alone: it was totally Jefferson.

"Why are you following me?" I asked with my arms crossed, Jefferson shrugged and leaned against the side of his car.

"Someone has to keep an eye on you."

"I want to be left alone," I said with a scowl.

"Too bad, we don't always get what we want," he said just as determinedly.

"Cole and Bobby let me leave," I countered.

"And Cole is a crazy broad who has her own problems to deal with, while her father has her to deal with. Me? My calendar is wide open Princess, I got nothing better to do than make sure you don't do anything stupid," he said, straightening up and walking over to me.

"I'm not going to do anything stupid," I said and he laughed.

"Are you kidding me? You've done nothing but stupid stuff since Dean died. You and Sam, who is gone, like the wind I might add."

I crossed my arms and looked away. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Yeah, yeah, you never do, but you're going to want to at some point, so I'm gonna hang around until you do," he said, walking back to his car. "I'll see you at the house when you get there," he added, winking at me.

"How did you know where I was going?" I asked and Jefferson chuckled, shaking his head.

"Where else would you go?" He asked. I stopped and looked at him, biting my lip. The man had a point. I had to admit, of everyone who had tried to help me since Dean had died, he'd been the least intrusive about it, firm but not demanding, not expecting anything from me. I could appreciate that.

I groaned and got back on the bike, well, looked like I was stuck with him for now. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, at least we had the same background in scripture, so maybe it would be of a help since that was where I was going next with my _breaking-Dean-out-of-Hell _mission.

* * *

_**Present Day**_

**Dean's POV**

I barely even recognised my own breathing as I lay in the dark, surrounding by a million screaming voices. Flashes of light flared around me and then there was nothing. I was trapped inside a box, in the dark, my breath short and fast as I wondered what I'd done this time to get thrown into a pit.

Tapping around in the box, my hands met with wood, and there were clothes on my body. I frowned, what was going on? I reached into my jeans and pulled out a lighter, flicking it on, the sinking feeling hitting me all at once. I was in a coffin. Sick, sadistic bastards were going to torture me again.

"Help!" I tried to yell, but it came out a hoarse cry, not even a whisper. The thought of returning to that rack got the better of me, what had I done to go back? "Help! Help!" There was nothing. I pounded on the top of the coffin and the wood cracked open raining dirt down on my face. _What? _I grabbed at the board and I pulled as hard as I could, groaning from the effort and a tonne of dirt spilled in on top of me as it gave way. I clawed at the dirt, desperately trying to get a pocket of air to breathe from, pulling myself up as I got my feet under me, scrambling for the surface.

When I reached air I could barely believe it, bracing myself and dragging myself out of the hole with every ounce of strength that I had. I gasped for a breath, groaning, my heart beating so hard I thought it might beat straight out of my chest. I lay on my back staring up at the sky. It was daylight. I'd never been so happy to see the blue sky in my life. Daylight. I was out! I was free, and it didn't feel like a dream, it felt real.

The reality hit me even harder as I climbed to my feet, looking at a crude wooden cross at my back, and then my gaze swept outwards to the destruction that was there. All around me in a perfect circle lay trees, dozens of them, all pulled out by the roots and spilling outward as if from a blast zone and I was ground zero. What on earth had pulled me out? It was some seriously bad mojo whatever it was.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

There had to be some kind of irony to the fact that I'd just escaped Hell and now found myself walking along an empty road in the blistering heat around me. I shook my head, wishing for a drink of water, something to quell the raspy sore throat. I rubbed the back of my neck and found beads hanging there and thought it strange. Tugging at them revealed Beth's rosary and I stopped to look at it – no, not hers, but one like hers: stranger still. I shrugged, taking it off and winding it around my wrist, tucking the crucifix under the beads.

In the distance I saw a gas station and I started to run for it, civilisation, I could start getting some answers.

I pounded on the door. "Hello?" I called out hoarsely, looking through the dirty windows. There was no one around and the store was closed. I took the shirt I'd tied around my waist and wrapped it around my hand, standing back a little and then smashing the glass on the door. Reaching in through the broken window, I unlocked the door and pushed my way into the station. The first thing I went for was a fridge and water. Nice, cold, freezing water. I gulped it down, gasping from the sensation that I'd been denied for so long.

A pile of newspapers was on display and I grabbed one, looking at the date. _Thursday, September 18__th__. _"September..." I muttered to myself. _What?! I'd been dead four months? Only four?_ It just didn't make sense.

The next stop was a bathroom, I was so filthy from the dirt, and there was more. There was a stain on my soul I could never hope to wash away, but I had to try, and I'd start by getting the dirt and grime off my face. Staring in the mirror, I started to notice other things about me, the scar that had run along my collarbone where I'd been chewed on by a werewolf... gone. I pulled up my shirt and looked in the mirror at where the hellhound had ripped my guts out, there was nothing, no scars or any indication that I'd ever been in Hell. There were no scars at all!

There was something there however; it ached slightly, a dull throb as I started to zero in on the strange sensation. I pulled up the sleeve on my left arm and stared at a red, angry looking handprint on my arm, blistering and risen against the skin. I took my breath away; it was as if I had been branded.

Covering it up again, I put it to the back of my mind; I'd mull it over while I went about getting the heck out of here. I grabbed snacks and candy bars from the shelves, putting them in a bag along with several more bottles of water. The magazine rack caught my eye and a copy of the latest _Busty Asian Beauties _was just beckoning to me. I picked it up and flipped through it with a smile and then put it back. Beth would kill me.

Beth. I glanced down at my left hand, my ring was missing. I groaned, hoping it hadn't gotten lost in all that digging out of the grave. I shook my head, _whatever_, I could find it later. I went looking for a phone, time to reach out and touch someone. There was no phone in the shop, but there was money in the cash register, which I raided and shoved into my pocket.

The TV to my left started to flicker and I frowned, it turned itself on but there was only static playing. I shut the TV off only to have the radio next to me turn on to white noise. Demons. They had to be after me. I moved quickly, grabbing a carton of salt from the shelves and starting to pour it along the windowsill. They weren't taking me without a fight; I was never going back to that hellhole.

As I poured the salt a high-pitched tone began, it was the most painful thing I'd heard in a long time. I grabbed at my left ear as I kept pouring the salt with my right hand. The sound didn't abate and I couldn't fight it, dropping to the ground and clutching at my head in agony. The window above me shattered, and I leapt to my feet trying to escape as more glass flew around from the ceiling and walls; I rolled to the ground in a fetal position, covering my head with my arms. Suddenly it was gone as quickly as it had started, fading to nothing. I was alone, and I was all right.

I grabbed the bag of food and ran outside, there was a pay phone nearby and I got inside, wishing I'd brought the salt with me. I put some money in the phone and dialled Beth's number, waiting breathlessly for her to answer.

"_We're sorry. You have reached a number that has been disconnected," _the automated voice said to me. _Disconnected? Why would she have done that?_ I frowned and dialled Sam, getting voicemail, his phone was shut off. What on earth had been going on up here that neither of them had their phones anymore?

I took a deep breath, fighting the rising panic in my chest. It was all right, I'd find them, and they would be all right. I just had to get to someone who might know where they were. I picked up the phone again, dialling a number I knew by heart.

"_Yeah?" _Bobby's voice came on the line and I smiled.

"Bobby?"

"_Yeah?" _

"It's me," I said into the phone.

"_Who's me?"_

"Dean."

The phone line went dead and I looked at the receiver with a sigh. I hung up, dialling again.

"_Who is this?" _Bobby asked when he answered.

"Bobby, listen to me," I said.

"_This ain't funny. Call again, I'll kill ya," _he said and hung up the phone. I shook my head: bloody paranoid bunch of people I ran with. I turned around, assessing my options. I didn't even know where I was. There was a beat up old car parked by the station and I smiled. Perfect. Time to pay a house call.

* * *

_**Bobby's House  
Sioux Falls, South Dakota**_

**Dean's POV**

I pounded on the door to Bobby's house all kinds of thoughts running through my head. _Would he believe me? Did I believe me? What the Hell was going on? Or not Hell... whatever. Something jinky was up regardless. _

Bobby opened the door slowly, looking out at me on the doorstep.

"Surprise!" I said. He didn't look impressed.

"I, I don't..." Bobby stuttered, trying to come to grips with me standing in front of him.

"Yeah, me neither," I said, pushing past him into the house. "But here I am..." Bobby lunged at me suddenly with a silver knife. I grabbed his arm and twisted it, but he broke my grip, instead backhanding me in the face. _Ow! _I gingerly touched my nose, holding a hand out to keep him at bay.

"Bobby! It's me!" I said.

"My ass!" Bobby snarled brandishing his knife. I pulled a chair between the two of us, trying to get some distance, buy myself a little time to reason with him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Your name is Robert Steven Singer. You became a hunter after your wife got possessed, you have a daughter and a grandson, and... you're about the closest thing I have to a father... Bobby. It's me." I said quickly, trying to think of other things that would convince him.

Bobby lowered the knife, stepping toward me slowly. He reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder, looking me in the eyes. Suddenly he slashed at me again; I was ready, pretty much expecting it. I blocked the swing and disarmed him.

"I am not a shapeshifter!" I yelled.

"Then you're a revenant!" He said angrily.

I shoved him off me, and grasped the knife in my hand, thinking. I couldn't believe I was going to do this, and I grimaced.

"All right. If I was either." I said. "Would I do this … with a silver knife?" I bit my lip and bared my arm. Another grimace, and I cut into the skin with the knife. Not too deep to do any damage, just enough to draw blood, and show him that I was telling the truth. The sting was nothing compared to my time in the pit, but it still bit into me.

Bobby looked at me, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Dean?" He said softly.

"That's what I been trying to tell you." I answered with a shrug.

Bobby grabbed me tightly in one of his big bear hugs. I hugged him back; it was good to see the old fella. I was relieved. Part of me hadn't wanted to believe it either. I needed someone, anyone to tell me that I wasn't dreaming and I was really here.

He pulled back. "It's... it's good to see you, boy."

"Yeah, you too." I smiled.

"But... how did you bust out?" Bobby asked.

"I don't know." I said. "I just, uh, I woke up in a pine box..."

Suddenly a splash of water hit me in the face and I spluttered. I hadn't seen that coming.

"I'm not a demon either, you know." I said, raising my eyebrow at him.

Bobby shrugged sheepishly at me, holy water in hand. "Sorry. Can't be too careful," he explained.

I shook my head, walking past him to grab a towel that was on the chair nearby. I wiped my face.

"But... that don't make a lick of sense." Bobby said.

"Yeah. You're preaching to the choir." I said.

"Dean. Your chest was ribbons, your insides were slop. And you've been buried _four months. _Even if you could slip out of hell and back into your meatsuit..." His voice trailed off.

"I know. I should look like a _Thriller _video reject." I answered. I'd thought about it, and I didn't like any of the answers I was getting.

"What do you remember?" Bobby asked.

"Not much. I remember I was a Hellhound's chew toy, and then... lights out." I told him. "Then I come to six feet under, that was it." Bobby sat down, thinking over this new information.

I stopped, taking a deep breath before sitting on the edge of his desk. It was time to track down the others, and I was going to need Bobby's help with that, he was the most reliable of places to come. I looked at Bobby, a little worried about what I might hear in response to my questions.

"Beth's phone is disconnected. Sam's phone is off... they're uh.. she's not?"

"Oh she's fine, well _fine as can be _given the circumstances." Bobby answered with a wave of his hand. "He's alive, far as I know."

"Good... wait, what do you mean, as far as you know?" I asked.

"I haven't talked to him for months." Bobby said.

"You're kidding; you just let him go off by himself?" I asked incredulously.

"He didn't go by himself. Beth went with him. They were dead set on it." Bobby said.

"Bobby, you were supposed to watch out for her!" I said, running a hand through my hair.

"I tried. These last few months haven't been exactly easy, you know. For any of us. She was a mess, she wouldn't leave Sam's side: he was the only link left to you... and...and we had to bury you."

"Why did you bury me anyway?" I asked. It wasn't exactly procedure.

"I wanted you salted and burned. Usual drill." Bobby replied. "But Sam and Beth, they wouldn't have a bar of it."

"Well I'm glad they won that one," I grinned, thinking of how stubborn Beth could be when she wanted her way. _Beth, where was she?_

"Sam said you'd need a body when he got you back home somehow. That's about all he said." Bobby continued. I whipped my head up to look at him, suspicious.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He was quiet. Real quiet. And then they just took off. They wouldn't return my calls. A month ago Jefferson and Cole turned up with her out of the blue, she was a mess. Wouldn't talk about where she'd been, what they'd done. Sam was nowhere to be seen and they'd had some falling out. I tried to find him myself, but he don't want to be found." Bobby finished, rubbing a hand across his beard.

"Oh dammit guys." I whispered, shaking my head.

"What?" Bobby asked.

"Oh one of them got me home okay. But whatever they did, it is bad mojo." I said grimacing.

"What makes you so sure?" Bobby was worried; I could see it in his eyes.

"You should have seen the grave site. It was like a nuke went off. And then there was this... this force, this presence, I don't know, but it, it blew past me at a fill-up joint. And then this..." I shrugged out of my shirt and pulled up my sleeve to show him the brand on my arm.

Bobby stood up to look, shocked. "What in the Hell?"

"It was like a demon just yanked me out. Or rode me out." I didn't really want to think about the consequences of that, so I put it out of my mind.

"But why?" Bobby asked.

"To hold up their end of the bargain," I said simply with a shrug.

"You think they made a deal?" Bobby said.

"It's what I would have done." I answered. I would have stopped at nothing to get Beth out, and the last I'd talked to her, she was feeling exactly the same way. We both gave each other a long look, the reality of my situation sinking in.

I looked around the house, nothing much had changed... My eyes caught a few familiar books sitting on a coffee table; I walked over, picking one up and flipping through it. I noticed Beth's familiar handwriting on some of the pages. I took this in with a thought, _surely not? If she was still here... where was she? _I had given a lot of thought to where Beth might go after I was gone. I knew Bobby would take care of her and Sam. I wasn't surprised she'd gone with Sam, but Bobby said she'd come back without him. So where was she?

"Bobby." I said slowly, shaking myself out of my thoughts. "Where is Beth?"

Bobby took a long sobering breath and looked at me.

"Gone," he said. "She took off and wouldn't say where."

"Why don't I like the sound of that? Come on, surely she left a clue," I said.

Bobby shrugged, looking at me. "She just said she was going back to the beginning. But I've been to Lawrence, she ain't there. She ain't in Wisconsin either."

I frowned, pacing as I thought about what that meant. She could be terribly cryptic when she wanted to be, but I knew she wouldn't leave a clue behind that I couldn't decipher. I stopped; looking up as it dawned on me and grinned, shaking my head at the man.

"No, that's not what she meant," I said quietly, looking down at my hands. "Where's your car? She's only a few hours away," I said with a confident smile. A few hours and I'd be able to see her again, touch her, and tell her myself that everything was going to be okay now. Bobby looked at me stunned.

"Man, she's been under your nose the whole time," I chuckled, heading for the door and patting him on the shoulder.

* * *

_**2 hours later  
Blue Earth, Minnesota**_

**Dean's POV**

The chapel was a relatively new construction. Pastor Jim hadn't built it, only extended on to it with his own home, but it looked older from the outside than it was. Stone walls, stained glass windows, a double door at the front, one side of which was propped open to allow entry to the general public. I didn't know what I'd been expecting. Of course she would be here, Beth had a faith that I would never understand. What she'd been through would have been enough for me to give up any faith I might have had. But apart from a few moments where she thought about giving up, she never did, and somehow it made her stronger. I wasn't surprised to find her in the place we'd met, the place we'd married, she went where there was consecrated ground, holy water, and God – and if there was an emotional connection to it, all the better.

_God. _I smirked. _Fat lot of good he does for us. _

When we arrived, the door to Pastor Jim's house swung open and I was surprised to see Jefferson walk out to greet us. He stared at me for a while, eyes moving to Bobby and assessing the situation quietly. Finally he smirked at me and shook his head.

"About time you showed up," he said as if I'd just been away on an extended vacation. He grabbed me in a hug, the strength of it belying the relief he felt to see me. I pulled back and grinned at him.

"Well you know me, timing is everything," I joked, and he smiled at me. I looked up at the chapel door and then glanced questioningly at Jefferson. "Is she...?"

"Spends all her days here." Jefferson nodded. "Comes home to eat dinner, does a little reading, research on the computer, and then she goes to her room where I'm pretty sure she watches that DVD of yours every night," he finished, shaking his head. I was surprised: when I'd sent it to Maggie, I wasn't even sure it would find its way to Beth.

"Right..." I said, suddenly feeling apprehensive. I smoothed out my shirt and ran my hands through my hair.

"You look fine you damn show pony. Just get your ass in there; we'll be out here if you need us." Bobby said, giving me a shove toward the chapel.

I took a few hesitant steps, and then walked steadily across the yard to the door. I quietly stepped inside, crossing the little foyer to the interior of the church. My eyes adjusted to the dark, it was getting late out, there weren't any lights on, just some candles at the main altar, and the chapel was getting darker as the light faded outside.

Beth was kneeling at a little side altar where there were a dozen or so little taper candles burning. Prayer candles, I knew them to be. Her head was bowed and she leaned heavily on the wooden railing in front of her, chin on her clasped hands. My breath caught. I could barely believe that I was here, and she was within arm's reach. All those _decades, _because that is what it had been to me, inside the Pit, being carved and mutilated... a lifetime of remembering, holding on to the one shred of humanity left inside of me. _Beth. _I closed my eyes, my heart was racing and I willed it to slow down.

Stepping into the aisle, I moved slowly toward her. She didn't outwardly show that she had heard me, but I knew she was aware that someone had entered behind her. When I didn't step into a pew to pray, she started paying closer attention, her shoulders stiffened, and she turned her head slightly to the side to glance behind her.

I licked my dry lips: What to say? How to say it? I was reminded of the first time we'd met, so many years ago, just children. She'd been praying at the front of the chapel, and I had been running away from wanting to face the fact that I'd screwed up and nearly gotten my brother killed. She'd turned to me then, and she did so again now, nearly twenty years later.

I was within feet of her. I just wanted to run and take her into my arms. But I couldn't, I had to let this play out. She hadn't changed; her long dark hair loose and running down her back. The rosary she word under her shirt was out; hanging from her neck, the silver pentacle gleamed when the light hit it. Seemed a lifetime ago I'd clipped it to the cross, and it was still there. I looked for it, seeing it on her left finger, her wedding ring. She still wore it and that filled me with overwhelming joy.

When she finally looked at me, her eyes widened and she froze, staring at me.

"Hey..." I offered, pathetically, shrugging my shoulders at her.

She said nothing, just staring, but her chest started rising faster, she was trying to catch her breath.

I stepped toward her and she scooted back a few steps, putting the railing between us.

"No..." She whispered, shaking her head. "No..."

"Beth." I said, reaching a hand out to her.

"Get away!" She cried, moving back toward the wall.

"Beth, it's me!" This wasn't going well; at least I'd given Bobby a phone call, a heads up. _Maybe I should have brought Jefferson in, _I thought ruefully. Too late for that.

"God, why do you torment me?" She asked, tears brimming in her eyes. She shook her head. "You're not real... you're not real." She muttered to herself. Her eyes narrowed and she started moving toward the rear exit.

I followed her, hands out.

"Beth, look, I know it seems impossible... but I swear, I swear it's me." I stepped toward her again and she ran for the door, I was hot on her heels.

I'd nearly caught her when she grabbed the bowl of water by the door, twisting mid run to toss the contents at me. I stopped as the water hit me square in the face. It smelled of mould and roses, and I just stood there, holy water dripping down my face and sighing.

Beth's eyes widened, but she still ran out the door and collided with Bobby as he was entering. He grabbed her, and she shrieked, falling into his arms. He gave me a frustrated look and held her close. I shrugged again, feeling every bit as pathetic and useless as I seemed to be right now.

"I already did that," he said to Beth. She stopped struggling, turning to regard me again, this time with uncertainty, but a little hope.

"It's him. I don't know how, but it's him." Bobby was saying and she looked up at him, shaking her head. She looked down again, disbelief showing, and then her eyes fell to the rosary around my wrist and she stopped. She took a shaky breath, stepping away from Bobby, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, looking at me long and hard. She ventured a few steps forward until she was standing just in front of me. I grabbed a cloth from one of the pews with a sigh and wiped the water off my face, again.

She reached a shaky hand out to touch the rosary and then my face, eyes searching mine. "Dean?" She asked softly.

"Hey sugarpie..." I whispered, smiling at her, but not moving to touch her. I didn't want to scare her away again.

She contemplated what she was seeing, then without warning threw her arms around me, and I wrapped her tightly in my arms. She was laughing and crying at the same time and I just held her, rubbing her back, taking in the warmth of her, the feel of her in my arms. _I've been gone so long... _I closed my eyes, breathing the smell of her hair, _vanilla_... and squeezed her a little harder. Neither of us wanted to let go.

"Oh God, Dean..." She pulled back, touching my face with her hands. "It is you. It is you. You're here." She laughed softly. "_It is you..." _This time a whisper. "But how?"

I took her face in my hands, leaning my forehead against hers, our noses bumped and our breath intermingled. I saw Bobby leave the building quietly, giving us our space now that she was all right. "I don't know... I don't know." I whispered, shaking my head a little but never pulling back. She had put her hands on my shoulders and was leaning against me, eyes closed, as if she couldn't quite believe I was there.

"I never gave up hope... it's all I've prayed for Dean. I never gave up hope," she whispered. I nodded, sliding my right hand up into her hair and holding her head a little firmer against mine, she felt real, she felt solid. All those years the demons had used her image to torture me. To take her from me over and over. And here she was, in the flesh, safe, untouched.

"God, I've _missed _you," I said fiercely, pulling her chin up so I could kiss her. I felt her yield underneath me, her lips parting to let me in. I kissed her with a quiet desperation, like I might wake up from a dream at any moment. _It wouldn't be the first time._ But this felt different. She shifted under me, her hands sliding down around my waist and then up my back, pulling me against her. I heard her moan softly as I deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with my tongue.

She was here. I was here. We were together. I don't know how that had happened, what deal had been done, but I didn't care. I was home; I was out of the Pit... I was free.

We pulled back unwillingly, just enough to look at each other.

"How are you here?" She asked again, this time wanting answers.

I shrugged. "I don't know... I was kind of hoping you could tell me." I said, looking at her.

"Me?" She asked, surprised.

"Well yeah. What did you and Sam do to break me out?" I asked, looking at her knowingly.

"Sam?" She frowned. "What does he have to do with this?" She stepped back just slightly, getting defensive.

"Beth..." I said, looking at her. "Come on, I know you guys were planning to do something, you said you wouldn't stop until you got me out. You left my body in a _coffin_, that's not standard procedure."

She sighed, nodding.

"We planned to Dean, we did. We left here and we hunted down demons, we went to crossroads, we tried everything we could think of... but..." she looked at me, fresh tears forming in her eyes. _"But no one would deal, Dean. _They had you where they wanted you; you were rotting in _Hell, _for months... for months Dean!" She stepped away, pacing along the stone floor of the foyer.

"And there was nothing we could do..." Her breath caught in a sob, and she put her hand to her mouth. "I couldn't stop it..." She stopped moving, closing her eyes and hugging herself.

I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her against my chest.

"Shh, it's okay. It's okay. I'm okay." I said, holding her, reassuring her that she hadn't failed me. She had to know I would never blame her; I only wanted her to be happy.

"You came back here?" I asked, the thought coming to my mind. She nodded against my chest; her words were slightly muffled into my jacket as she answered.

"Sam... he was losing it, _I was losing it. _He was so angry! He pushed me away Dean, oh he's a nasty drunk. He blamed me for you being in Hell and said I had to go, that he didn't want me with him..." She paused, her fingers were playing with a button on my shirt, I held her silently, letting her get her thoughts.

She sighed. "I'd lost you... and then I lost my brother. I've been all alone." Her breath caught in a sob. I squeezed her tight, kissing the top of her head, a multitude of thoughts running through my head. _Maybe he was trying to protect her from whatever bad mojo he'd delved into to get me out. _

"I'm sorry." I said into her hair, kissing her head again. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. But I'm here now, I'm here now." I slid my hand up into her hair, grasping her head firmly as I claimed her lips again, softly but firmly, needing to hear that little moan come from her. I wasn't disappointed, she clung to me as I kissed her trembling lips, that little sigh I loved so much escaping her mouth.

Beth pulled away only slightly and smiled at me, lifting my left hand to her mouth and kissing the palm several times. I unwound the rosary from around my wrist, placing it in her hands and she smiled at it, eyes full of glittering tears.

"Thought you might like it back," I said with a grin and she laughed, nodding.

"I uh... I don't know where..." I started to explain about the ring and she shushed me, smiling and lifting her own hand up. She twisted at her ring, tugging and I saw her ring separate, and I realised with a surprise that they nested together: I hadn't lost it; she'd kept it with her all this time.

Taking it in hand she slid it back on to my finger, biting her lip and smiling at me. "I told you to come and get this back off me," she said and I grinned, leaning my forehead in against hers.

"Thank you," I said softly and she smiled tearfully at me again.

* * *

**Beth's POV**

I had never unpacked my bag, not really, a few things here and there, but it had always been tucked in the closet ready to go at the drop of a hat if the opportunity presented itself. I hurried upstairs to grab it, throwing it on the bed and tossing in some underwear from the tallboy nearby, along with my candle from the top.

As I moved to the bathroom to get my toiletries the door opened and Dean walked through, closing it behind him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, watching me as I walked into the ensuite and then reappeared carrying my brush, toothbrush, shampoo and conditioner.

"Packing, we have to get Sam, right?" I asked, tossing the rest of my things in the bag and zipping it up. The mere thought of seeing Sam again was making me sick to the stomach, I didn't know what he was going to say when he saw me, and I didn't know how I felt. I ached at what he'd said, but that had been over a month ago, surely he'd simmered down since then.

"Are you kidding me?" Dean asked, and I paused, looking at him.

"What?"

He shook his head and crossed to me, his hands cupping my face again and he kissed me with a hunger I hadn't felt in a long time. I slid my hands up along his back, feeling the familiar grooves as his muscles moved against me. "He can wait," Dean said breathlessly as he claimed my lips again.

He started pulling at the hem of my shirt, lifting it up over my head and I moaned, feeling a yearning start to throb through my whole body. Tugging at my jeans, they dropped to the floor, Dean leaning down to run his hands along my legs, trailing them back up to peel my underwear to the floor, kissing along my hips and up over my stomach as he pulled himself up my body.

Dean grabbed me to him and I sought the comfort of his arms and lips, moaning as he lifted me up, carrying me over to the bed and laying me down on the soft comforter. He hovered over me, brushing the hair out of my eyes and smiling, looking at me with such love and tenderness. With gentle hands he removed my rosary and medallion from around my neck, placing them on the nightstand before returning.

I tugged at the hem of his t-shirt as Dean helped to remove it and I marvelled at his body, it was pristine, none of the familiar scars marring any of his skin. I ran my hands along where there had been a few stab wounds and then down over his stomach where the hellhound had gutted him. Even his tattoo was gone.

"I have waited a long... long time for this," he said, his mouth catching my lips in a hungry kiss. I worked at his jeans, pulled them down over his hips and he moved back long enough to drop them to the floor, revealing an erection that was already hard and ready. I reached out, taking it in my hand and tugging at him, watching the way his eyes glazed over and rolled into the back of his head. I pulled him on to the bed beside me, rolling on top and stroking along his stomach with one hand while I massaged him with my other.

His breath was already catching in short bursts, and he clutched at the comforter, his knuckles white. I flicked my thumb across his head, urging him closer and closer to his orgasm. Suddenly his breathing changed and became more frantic, he froze with short, hard and fast gasps as he shook his head.

"Dean?"

He didn't respond and I noted every muscle in his body was clenched tight as if fighting what he was feeling.

"No..." he whispered and I let go of him, my hands sliding along his chest as I moved to lie next to him, brushing my hand along his face. "I won't..." he said, shaking his head and biting his lip.

"Dean... what's wrong?"

With a cry he grabbed at me, rolling and pinning me to the bed as he pushed between my legs, his arousal pressing against me.

"Dean," I said warily with slightly bated breath. He didn't look at me, eyes tightly closed; instead he frowned and thrust forward. I wasn't completely ready and I cried out as he entered, it had been months and I was not expecting the rough treatment. He forced himself to go deeper in spite of the minimal lubrication, and I gasped from the stabbing pain as he rubbed inside of me, the friction sending searing red fire through me.

Dean's breath was coming harder and faster, his actions jerking and nowhere near as controlled or gentle as I was used to. The look on his face was familiar to my dreams, he was lost inside of himself, pinning my arms above me as he thrust harder and harder. I willed my body to soften, to take it as I gasped and tried not to panic.

"Dean... Dean you're hurting me," I said, he wrenched another moan from me as he hit my cervix hard, sending more pain coursing through my body. He gasped, moaning and shaking his head.

"No...no..." he muttered as he frowned, his eyes clenched shut.

"Dean!" I said, fighting at his hands that pinned me to the bed. "Dean look at me!" He stopped moving, and there was nothing but the sound of his heavy breathing as he turned his face toward me.

"Baby it's me," I said softly, "Dean it's me, come back to me," I said, kissing his lips and he released my hands as he stilled inside of me. Hazel eyes opened to look at me and I saw the way he was locked inside of himself, inside a memory. "You're hurting me, come back to me," I said again, stroking my hand across his forehead.

"Beth?" He said softly, gasping as he leaned over me.

"Yes, yes it's me... you're with me, you're safe, you're okay baby. You're okay," I said and he let out a shuddering breath, dropping on me and burying his face in my neck.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry," he said, sliding his arms under me and I pulled him tightly to me.

"It's okay," I said soothingly, stroking my hands along his back and up into his hair.

"Oh God I'm sorry," he said and I held him to me, kissing him and showing him I was all right.

"I'm all right, it's okay." He pulled out of me, cursing and moving off the bed, going into the bathroom.

"Dean..." I crawled out of bed and followed him, tossing a t-shirt on and bringing a shirt for him which I draped over his shoulders as he stood in front of the mirror, leaning heavily on the sink.

"I don't deserve you," he said, shaking his head.

"Stop that," I said. "Don't you dare push me away. You have been in _Hell..._ the things you went through..." I turned him to face me, staring into tormented and guilty eyes. "I'm all right. I'm more worried about you." He refused to speak, shaking his head.

"You promised," I said to him, bringing his face around to me. "For better or worse, you would talk to me, you would trust me." He sighed.

"What do you see in me? The things I've done..." He asked, hanging his head.

I growled and wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close, stroking along his back through the fabric of the shirt and he let out a shaky breath, his arms finally coming to hold me.

"Don't do that," I said softly. "Don't start down that road, you haven't done anything wrong."

Taking his hand I led him back into the bedroom, moving my bag on to the floor and getting under the covers, pulling him beside me on the bed and nestling in against his chest. His breathing evened out and he just held me, staring down at me as I smiled. "I missed you so much," I said, tears coming into my eyes as I thought about the time we'd spent apart.

"Me too," he said, kissing me with a haunted look. "You have no idea."

"Don't ever leave me again," I whispered, burying my lips against his neck and breathing in the scent of him.

"Never. Not if I can help it," he said, holding and squeezing me to him.

"All your scars are gone," I commented randomly, running my fingers along where he used to have a claw mark from a werewolf.

"Yeah I know," he said thoughtfully. "Guess I have some catching up to do to reach your level again," he added with a chuckle. I grimaced and sighed.

"Mmm, ugly scars..." I said with a sigh.

"Shh, you're beautiful, every little scar, every blemish, I wouldn't change a thing," he said, kissing my forehead. I smiled, running my hand up over his left arm again and finding one scar, a big angry welt in the shape of a hand on his bicep. I gasped, looking at it and then up at Dean.

"Yeah I know... I guess I have one that you don't," he said with a chuckle and I smiled, nodding at him.

"Does it hurt?" I asked, tentatively touching the finger marks.

"No," he said, shaking his head. I placed my hand over the top of them, and rested it there, just staring and trying to think of what could have pulled him out of Hell.

"You'll have to get another tattoo," I said, kissing his chest where his anti-possession tattoo had once been.

"Yeah, I know," he said. "First thing in the morning." I smiled, and pulled away long enough to grab my rosary. It still had one of the anti-possession charms on it; the same one Dean had put on the rosary so long ago. I slipped it over his head and smiled as the silver settled around his neck.

"This will do until then," I said and he nodded, kissing my forehead.

"Get some sleep Beth, you look exhausted," Dean said to me and I nodded, letting out a yawn.

"Yeah, I haven't been sleeping without you," I said, curling up closer.

"Well, hopefully we'll both get some sleep for a change then," he said, pulling me against him. "Close your eyes, I'll be right here in the morning."

"Promise?" I asked, trailing my hand along his chest.

"Promise."

* * *

_**Next Morning**_

**Dean's POV**

I could barely believe my eyes when I woke up in bed with Beth. She was tangled around me, clinging to my chest as she slept soundly. I tried to stretch, feeling a little sore from not having moved at all during the night, and she moaned, shifting a little and rolling on to her back. I smiled, moving her on to her side and slid in behind her, my arm circling around her waist and stroking softly. The touch started to wake her and she moaned, rolling back against me.

"Morning," I said into her ear, kissing the soft skin on her neck.

"Mmmm, good morning," she said with a smile, reaching behind to slide an arm around my neck. "How are you feeling?"

"Alive," I said with a chuckle, kissing along her shoulder. She turned to look at me and I swear you couldn't wipe the smile of her face if you tried. I chuckled and kissed her, happy to be alive and have her in my arms.

"Come on, let's get in a shower before breakfast," I said and she nodded, climbing out of bed and tugging me with her.

"Together?" She asked hopefully, big brown eyes looking at me in question.

"Of course, I'm not letting you out of my sight," I said with a grin and she laughed, skipping forward to kiss me again.

It was a chaste shower, by our standards, and by the time we got downstairs Jefferson and Bobby had finished their breakfast and were sitting at the table reading newspapers.

"In the oven," Jefferson said to Beth before she could even get out a question, and she grinned at him, moving to take out two plates of eggs and bacon. "Mind the plates, they'll be hot," Jefferson added and Beth rolled her eyes at him while she grabbed a couple of pot holders.

"Really?" She asked innocently and Jefferson smiled, shaking his head at her.

My stomach growled in hunger and I sat at the table as she brought them over to me.

"So, it wasn't Beth," I said to the other two men in the room and they nodded.

"Kind of figured," Jefferson said with a snicker.

"So we need to find Sam, and figure out what the Hell he's been up to," I said with a frown, digging in to my bacon and chewing, trying not to moan it tasted so good.

"Where's Baby?" I asked, looking over at Beth, she glanced up at me and squirmed a little, and I felt my heart race a little. What had she done with my car?

"She's kind of with Sam..." Beth said and I stared at her, stunned.

"You were supposed to take care of her," I said and she nodded, leaning over to kiss me.

"Yeah I know, but that was before Sam took off with a freaking demon," she said, forking some eggs into her mouth and looking down at her place. I spluttered and nearly spat my coffee all over the table.

"What?!"

"Ruby showed up, I refused to go with them because you told me to stay away from her, and Sam told me I had to choose. So I left to find my own way to get you out, he stayed with her," Beth said quickly, still looking at her plate. She was fidgeting, and I knew there was more to the story, but until she was ready to share, I wasn't going to push.

"So how are we supposed to find him?" I asked, frowning.

"That's easy," Beth said with a grin, swallowing a mouthful of orange juice. "I put a tracker on the car, why do you think I let him take her?" I laughed, shaking my head and leaning in to kiss her.

"I knew there was a reason I married you," I said and she grinned.

"Well it certainly wasn't for my cooking," she quipped, smiling at me.

After breakfast I sat at the computer and Beth leaned over my shoulder as she gave me the tracking information for the Impala.

"You think he knows it's on there?" I asked, looking up at her and she shook her head.

"Nope, Sam doesn't work on the car, and he'd have to do that to find where I put it," she said with a chuckle. I shook my head in quiet awe of her, grateful that she'd taken the time to learn about the Impala.

I keyed in the information and waited for the satellite to kick in, the screen finally revealing a location.

"He's in Pontiac, Illinois," I said, frowning.

"Right near where you were planted," Bobby said.

"Right where I popped up. Hell of a coincidence, don't you think?" I asked, and Beth chewed on her lip, nodding.

* * *

_**Pontiac, Illinois**_

**Beth's POV**

It had been a long drive. Jefferson had graciously allowed Dean to drive the Plymouth while he rode with Bobby, giving us some space to talk. We'd conversed quietly for a while before falling into a comfortable silence, Dean with his eyes on the road, me with my eyes on him. There was a lot to think about.

He glanced over at me periodically, smiling each time. I reached a hand out to rest on his thigh, I had to touch him, had to feel he was real. He reached down and laid his hand over mine, squeezing softly, as if to convince himself that I was real as much as I was doing the same.

"Won't be long," He promised. "Sam has a lot of explaining to do." I smiled sadly. I didn't want to know what sort of a deal Sam had made to get Dean out and I wasn't looking forward to finding out.

_**Astoria Hotel**_

The clerk had told me what room he was in when I handed over a few hundred dollar bills and flashed a bit of cleavage. Dean led the way down the hallway coming to the end. A big red heart with the numbers 207 stood out against the dark wood. My stomach was in knots. I didn't know how Sam was going to take seeing me again, and I certainly felt worried about how I was going to react to seeing him again. I'd thought about staying in the car, but Dean wouldn't hear of it, so instead I was trailing behind him and Bobby all the way to the door.

Dean frowned at me when I refused to knock, preferring instead to stand with Bobby, but he didn't force the issue. That left Jefferson who rolled his eyes and then knocked on the door.

A pretty young woman opened the door wearing nothing but her undies and a singlet, stepping back to look at him with a smirk.

"So where is it?" She asked.

"Um, where is what?" Jefferson countered with his own question.

"The pizza?" She smirked. "That takes a guy and..." She looked out the door a little, spotting the rest of our group. "...three bodyguards to deliver?"

"I think we have the wrong room." Jefferson said, turning to the rest of us but I recognised the girl from the last time I'd seen Sam, I shook my head and stepped forward just as Sam came out into view. He looked grim, wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans.

"Beth?" He asked, eyes widening as he stepped toward me.

"Hey Sam," I said, feeling sick and awkward as he stared at me, making no move to indicate how he was feeling.

"What are you doing here?" He asked coming up to the door.

"I uh..." I hesitated, and then Jefferson stepped in with a scowl on his face.

"She's here to do this," he said, and without any warning he punched Sam in the nose, the latter reeling back in surprise while the girl in the room shrieked.

"What the fuck Jefferson!?" Sam yelled, grabbing at his nose and Dean was moving into the room, coming between them, not sure what the hell was going on.

"That's for leaving Beth in a field, alone," Jefferson said, "because she's too nice to do it." Sam stood up, holding his nose and scowling, he made for Jefferson, and Dean put his hands in the air.

"Hold on there cowboy!" Dean said, and Sam paused, staring at Dean. His eyes widened further and he swallowed hard, eyes flicking between me, to Bobby and then Sam.

"Heya, Sammy," Dean said when Sam didn't move.

Sam was silent and Dean took a step forward. Suddenly Sam pulled a silver knife out from his jeans and lunged at Dean.

Dean blocked Sam's attack and Bobby grabbed Sam, gripping him around the shoulders. Sam struggled against Bobby, and I threw myself at him, palms pushing against his chest, holding him back.

"Who are you?!" Sam shouted at Dean, who was now behind me.

"Oh like you didn't do this?!" Dean yelled back, eyes flashing.

"Do what?!" Sam exclaimed.

"It's him. It's him Sam. We've been through this already!" I said, looking up into his eyes. He stopped to look at me. "It's _really him._" I said, tears welling in my eyes. Sam looked up again at Dean; I felt his body relax under my hands.

"What..." Sam muttered incredulously.

Dean approached us cautiously, staring at Sam. "I know. I look fantastic, huh?" He joked. Sam just stared at him, frowning.

Bobby let go of Sam, who now had tears in his own eyes. He looked down at me and then pulled Dean into a hug. Sam finally pulled back, looking Dean up and down. The woman was staring at us all, confused.

"So are you two like... together?" She asked.

Sam's eyes went to her and he looked confused, like he'd forgotten all about her being there. "What? No. No. He's my brother." Sam explained.

"Uh... got it. I … I guess. Look, I should probably go." She offered lamely.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Sorry." Sam said. Dean grinned at her, only just now noticing her lack of clothing. I rolled my eyes and went into the room collecting all the women's clothes I could see lying about.

The girl slipped into jeans and a plaid blue shirt quickly, her eyes warily looking at me, but then she shrugged. I was still feeling sick to my stomach as I watched her leave for the door, she was the same girl I'd walked in on with Sam over a month ago, and she'd been there when Sam had told me to take off. Sam had put on a white shirt and was ushering her out the door as I flopped down into one of the cushy armchairs, fighting back the urge to vomit.

Dean was standing next to me, leaning against the chair, his arms crossed over his chest. Sam sat down on the end of the bed tying his shoelaces.

"So tell me, what'd it cost?" Dean asked sternly, suddenly all business.

Sam laughed, looking up from tying his shoe with a raised eyebrow. "The girl? I don't pay, Dean." I smirked and shook my head.

"That's not funny Sam. _To bring me back._ What'd it cost? Was it just your soul, or was it something worse?" Dean asked.

Sam paused and looked at Dean confused. "You think I made a deal?" He asked.

"That's exactly what we think." Bobby said from where he was seated at the little round table by the bed.

"Well I didn't." Sam said.

"Don't lie to me." Dean said forcefully.

"I'm not lying." Sam said throwing his hands up in the air.

Dean advanced on Sam, his face was angry. I grimaced. "So what now, I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it? You're some demon's bitch-boy? I didn't want to be saved like this!"

Sam stood up angrily to face Dean. "Look, I wish I had Dean, all right?" Dean grabbed Sam by the collar, shaking him.

"There's no other way that this could have gone down. _Now tell the truth_!" Dean demanded.

Sam brought his hands up and broke free of Dean's grip, anger flaring into his eyes. "I tried everything. That's the truth! Didn't Beth tell you?" His eyes fell to me with a glare and I looked away. "We tried everything. We even tried opening a Devil's Gate. Nothing. I have been driving from one end of this country to the other just looking for an answer Dean. For months. And nothing. So I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right?" He paused, gulping, eyes looking sad and full of guilt. "Dean, I'm sorry."

Dean's expression softened as he looked at his brother. "It's okay, Sammy. You don't have to apologise, I believe you." He said softly. Sam was fuming, struggling with his failure.

Bobby's voice broke the silence.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact." He said. "But it does raise a sticky question..."

"If he didn't pull you out, then what did?" I asked softly, slipping my arm around Dean's waist and looking up at him. He sighed, taking a deep breath, eyes just as concerned.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

You could have cut the air with a knife as Sam paced the room glancing at Beth and then Jefferson. He stopped a couple of times, looking over at her, and then kept moving, shaking his head. I'd never seen them so uncomfortable with each other, and it made me wonder just what had gone on between them, what Beth wasn't telling me yet.

Finally Sam grabbed some beers from the fridge, handing them around, and then sat on a chair across from the couch where I was sitting with Beth.

"So, what were you doing around here if you weren't digging me out of my grave?" I asked, cracking the beer and taking a sip.

"Well, once I figured I couldn't save you, I started hunting down Lilith, trying to get some payback," he answered.

"All by yourself? Who do you think you are, your old man?" Bobby snapped.

"Just like him," Beth smirked, looking at him. He stopped to stare at her and she rolled her eyes. "After all, the rest of us just make him weak." Sam looked like he was going to retort, but then he ignored the comment, turning to Bobby. I frowned, wondering what that comment had been about. She'd told me on the trip here that he's said some nasty things to her, but she didn't elaborate, and I wasn't pushing. Yet.

"Uh, yeah, I'm sorry Bobby. I should have called. I was pretty messed up," he said quietly, glancing back at Beth who was shaking her head angrily.

I raised an eyebrow; picking up the item I'd just found discarded on the side of the couch, a pink flowered bra, and held it up in the air.

"Oh yeah. I really feel your pain," I smirked: clearly he hadn't been suffering too much in the time I was gone. He actually looked pretty good, he was strong, healthy, and sober, a far cry from what Beth had said he'd been like when she'd last seen him.

It was also a far cry from Beth who looked like she hadn't slept in years. She was a little better this morning, and her smiles came easier the longer I had her with me. Now I just had to sort out what had gone on with Sam, but all in good time, more important was figuring out what was going on with me.

"Anyways, uh, I was checking these demons out of Tennessee, and out of nowhere they took a hard left, booked up here," Sam said, ignoring my comment.

"When?" I asked.

"Yesterday morning," he answered and I looked down at Beth, taking in a short breath.

"When I busted out," I said.

"You think these demons are here because of you?" Jefferson asked, still leaning casually against the sink in the little kitchenette. I tilted my head, shrugging.

"But why?" Sam asked, looking confused.

"Well, I don't know – some badass demon drags me out and now this? It's gotta be connected somehow," I said, a sinking sick feeling started to churn in my gut and I shook my head.

"How you feelin', anyway?" Bobby asked randomly, looking at me. I shrugged, glancing around the room.

"I'm a little hungry," I said to which Beth snickered.

"No, I mean, do you feel like yourself? Anything strange, or different?" He clarified. I looked at Beth and she bit her lip, squeezing my hand that was holding hers.

"Or demonic?" I asked in frustration. "Bobby, how many times do I have to prove I'm me?" It was getting to be annoying.

"Yeah. Well listen," Bobby said, raising a concerned eyebrow. "No demon's letting you loose out of the goodness of their hearts. They've gotta have something nasty planned."

"Well I feel fine," I insisted, taking another drink from my beer and glancing down at Beth. She was the only one who knew otherwise. I was still getting flashes of Hell, even when I was awake, but that was hardly surprising – and it was hardly related to whether or not I had a demon floating around inside of me.

I felt the amulet hanging around my neck, Beth had moved it to a chain this morning, and reminded myself that a visit to the tattoo parlour was in order as soon as possible.

"Okay, look, we don't know what they're planning. We got a pile of questions and no shovel," Jefferson said, walking over to sit down on one of the bed. "We need help."

"I know a psychic," Bobby offered. "A few hours from here. Something this big, maybe she's heard the other side talking." I nodded at the idea.

"Hell yeah, it's worth a shot," I said.

Bobby stood up with a shrug, reaching for his phone. "I'll be right back," he said and he left the room, Jefferson following him.

"I'm going to go put some gas in the car, back shortly," he said and then the door was shut and it was just three of again in the motel room. Beth was staring at the wall, silent and contemplative, and Sam was watching her with a mix of anxiety and worry. I stood up and she looked at me urgently until I leaned down to kiss her forehead, smiling.

"Bathroom," I explained and she took a breath, nodding.

"Hey, wait," Sam said, standing up as I walked away. "You might want this back." I turned back and he pulled a cord out from under his shirt revealing my amulet, the one he'd given me for Christmas so many years ago. I smiled, looking at it in my hand and nodded.

"Thanks."

"Yeah, don't mention it," Sam said, looking at me intensely. I put the amulet over my head and it was like having an old friend reunite with me. "Hey Dean, what was it like?" Sam asked, looking a little uncomfortable.

"What, Hell?" I asked, and he nodded. "I don't know," I lied. "I, I must have blacked out. I don't remember a damn thing," I said, glancing down at Beth who was chewing on her bottom lip, looking at me sadly.

"Well, thank God for that," Sam said nodding and I almost snickered. _God. What the hell did he have to do with any of this?_

"Yeah," I said with a nod, pushing past him and going into the bathroom. I turned the light on, staring in the mirror, into my eyes. As I looked my eyes seemed to turn blood shot and I heard the screams and whimpers of thousands of souls being tortured as the light seemed to flare around me. I shook my head, looking up into the mirror again and seeing my face, whole, fine, and I shuddered. It was just a memory.

Splashing some water on my face, I cracked the door a little and saw Beth pacing the room, looking anxious.

"Listen, Beth," Sam was saying and I paused to listen, wondering what they'd have to say for themselves now I was out of the room. "What I said to you, it wasn't me..." he said and Beth glared at him. "Really, I was in a bad place Beth, and I took it out on you. It was the alcohol, and the frustration... I didn't mean it."

Beth huffed and shook her head, coming to a stop and looking at Sam. "Really Sam? Because it seemed like you'd given it quite a bit of thought from where I was standing," she said angrily.

"It was the whiskey, come on; you know what it was like!" Sam said, walking up to her. "You know I'd never deliberately hurt you, I was just … angry," he said. I cracked the door a little further and saw her shake her head, pushing past him.

"You're lying," she said.

Sam grabbed her arm as she passed and spun her to face him with a wrench and I nearly rushed into the room and punched him myself, but I held, and waited. Beth pulled away, but he held on to her arm until she'd look at him.

"Let me go Sam," she said, glaring up at him.

"I'm not lying! Beth! You have to believe me, I tried calling you, dozens of times but then you disconnected your phone..." he said, she rolled her eyes and pulled at her arm again, this time he let her go.

"And Ruby? What happened to her?" She asked, looking back at him.

"Gone, I sent her away when I realised what I'd done, what I'd said to you," he said, looking down at her. "Beth, I'm sorry, you gotta believe me."

Beth sighed, and looked at him, taking a step back. "You were hurting, I get it," she said, biting her lip. "But people don't just say random things when they're drunk, they come from somewhere Sam. Deep down, you believe everything you said and I can't _ever _forget that, not anytime soon. We'd lost Dean, I get it, you were hurting and you needed someone to blame, but _I needed you Sam! _I needed you to back me up, like you promised you would, and you just... you turned on me, and now you expect me to just forgive and forget?"

Sam sighed and looked at her, shaking his head. "Beth, come on..."

"No Sam, I've let you get away with a lot, I have. But this... you might as well have stuck a knife in my gut," she said quietly, shaking her head. "I can forgive you, Sam. I can forgive you anything because I love you, and you're my brother. But I'm not gonna forget anytime soon."

She walked toward the door, hesitating when she got there, glancing up at the bathroom door and seeing me standing there. She shook it off not calling it to Sam's attention that I'd been eavesdropping.

Instead, she turned back to him and added. "Oh by the way I'd watch yourself around Cole. She'll be out for vengeance and she isn't likely to let you know when she plans to collect. She'll simply take it from you…" Beth said the warning hanging in the air between them. I almost chuckled as I looked back at Sam's expression: he paled visibly and gulped audibly at the warning. Fantastic, for once it wasn't going to be me the angry midget picked on.

I opened the door and moved out, looking from her to Sam.

"Everything okay?" I asked cautiously and she nodded.

"Yeah, yeah we're good. Think we can go yet?" She asked. As if on cue, the door to the room opened right in front of her and Bobby stood there, looking at the three of us.

* * *

**Beth's POV**

Bobby led the way down the steps to where Jefferson was waiting with the Plymouth.

"She's about four hours down the Interstate," he said to us as we hit the bottom step. He looked over at Jefferson's car with a raised eyebrow and then back at the boys who were walking toward the Impala. "Try to keep up," Jefferson said with a challenge before he and Bobby got in the Plymouth.

"I assume you'll want to drive," Sam said, pulling the keys out of his pocket and tossing them to Dean who caught them with a smile.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" He chuckled, hurrying around the side of the car and running his hand along her roof lovingly. "Hey sweetheart, did you miss me?" I laughed, shaking my head and climbing into the passenger seat, it was good to see him happy.

Dean settled into the driver's seat with a happy breath and his gaze fell to an iPod plugged into the stereo, I raised an eyebrow and snickered while Dean gave Sam a dirty look over the back seat.

"What the hell is that?" He asked.

"That's an iPod jack," Sam said with a smile.

"You were supposed to take care of her, not douche her up," Dean said with a frown.

"Dean, I thought it was my car," Sam replied and Dean looked incredulously at him, starting the engine up. The soulful tones of _Vision _started to play over the speakers and Dean rolled his eyes, glaring at Sam again with a pained look.

"Really?"

Sam shrugged innocently and Dean reached forward, ripping the iPod out of the jack and tossing it in the back seat next to Sam.

Jefferson pulled out ahead of us, the _Beep Beep _of his Roadrunner sounding as he rocketed off down the highway and Dean pulled after him with a screech of tires. "Oh it is on!" He said with a chuckle, putting the pedal to the floor and having the Impala lurch forward, speeding to catch up to Jefferson.

"You know, there's still one thing that's bothering me," Dean said, breaking the silence a while later.

"What?" I asked, glancing over at him from where I was leaning against the door. Sam sat forward, a curious look on his face.

"The night that I bit it. Or... got bit," he said with a chuckle. "How'd you guys make it out? I thought Lilith was going to kill you."

"Well she tried," Sam said, resting his arms on the front seat and looking at Dean. "She couldn't."

"What do you mean, she couldn't?" Dean asked.

"She fired this, like, burning light at us and... didn't even leave a scratch. Like I we were immune or something."

"Immune?"

"Yeah. I don't know who was more surprised, her or me. She left pretty fast after that," Sam answered.

Dean glanced over at me and I chewed on my lip, I didn't remember much from that night, but I did remember the relief of having her disappear, and the nausea vacate my body.

"Huh," Dean said. "What about Ruby, where is she?" He asked, knowing full well that she'd showed her face again.

Sam glanced over at me and I raised an eyebrow at him, almost daring him to lie.

"Gone. She showed up, said she'd been sent to kill me, but she killed the other demons with her and got us to safety," Sam said.

"You to safety," I said crossly, looking out the window.

"Well you were asked to come along too Beth," Sam said with a bit of frustration. I snorted and shook my head.

"I told her to stay away from Ruby," Dean said, looking at Sam. "She's bad news."

Sam looked as if he was going to argue, and then he bit his lip, sitting back against the seat, shaking his head. I wondered whether he'd actually gotten rid of the demon, of if she was still around, just waiting to pounce from the shadows.

"So you've been using your... uh... freaky ESP stuff?" Dean asked, looking in the mirror at Sam.

"No."

"You sure about that? Well, I mean, now that you've got … immunity, whatever the Hell that is... just wondering what other kind of weirdo crap you've got going on."

"Nothing Dean," Sam said with a sigh. "Look, you didn't want me to go down that road, so I didn't go down that road. It was practically your dying wish." I rolled my eyes again where he couldn't look. Funny how Dean's dying wish to me hadn't seemed too important when it meant ditching Ruby.

"Yeah, well, let's keep it that way," Dean said quietly, glancing over at me and then reaching out to take my hand, giving it a little squeeze.

It was daylight by the time we got to the psychic's house. She lived in a modest little weatherboard house with leadlight windows. When Bobby knocked she answered the door quickly with a happy laugh.

"Ha ha ha! Bobby!" She said, grabbing him in a big hug and lifting him up off the ground. Dean raised an eyebrow, she was strong.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Bobby said with a smile as Pamela stepped back, casting an appraising eye over the boys, all three who were looking like they wanted to jump her bones at any moment. She was athletic, friendly and beautiful, definitely their type.

"So, these the boys?" She asked, crossing her arms with a smile.

"Yep, we've got Sam, Jefferson, Dean and Beth there," Bobby replied, winking at me. "This is Pamela Barnes, best damn psychic in the state," he said.

"Hey," Dean said with a flirty smile and Jefferson pushed in to extend his hand with a dashing smile.

"Lovely to meet you Pamela," he said. She took his hand and shook it, smiling over at me.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm, you travel in good company Beth," she said and I nodded, throwing the boys a smile. She looked back at Dean, giving him the once over. "Dean Winchester. Out of the fire and back in the frying pan, huh? Makes you a rare individual," she said, staring at him.

Dean shrugged, looking at me and sliding an arm around my waist. "If you say so." Pamela simply nodded and then waved as she stepped back into the house.

"Come on in," she said, ushering us into the foyer and shutting the door.

"So, you hear anything?" Bobby asked.

"Well, I ouija'd my way through a dozen spirits. No one seems to know who broke your boy out, or why," she answered, turning to look at us all.

"So what's next?" I asked.

"A séance, I think," she said, looking at us all "See if we can see who did the deed."

"You're not going to … summon the damn thing here?" Jefferson asked cautiously, looking at Pamela with a guarded expression.

"No. I just want to get a sneak peek at it," she said, walking past him with a smile. "Like a crystal ball without the crystal." She led the way into the living room and Dean shrugged, looking at me.

"I'm game," he said and I rolled my eyes. Of course he was.

I helped Pamela spread a black cloth with symbols on it over the table, and she smiled at me, turning to bend down at a chest of drawers, collecting some supplies from the bottom drawer. Her lower back was bared and the boys couldn't help themselves, looking and then nodding at each other. I looked too and noticed that she had a tattoo that read _Jesse forever _on her lower back.

"Who's Jesse?" Jefferson asked finally, casting an appreciative eye over Pamela. She chuckled and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Well, it wasn't forever," she quipped.

Jefferson smirked. "His loss," he commented and Pamela stood up with the candles in hand, walking over to stop in front of the blonde Englishman.

"Might be your gain," she said with a suggestive tone before walking past him and handing me a candle to put on the table.

"Nice, I am so in!" Jefferson said to Dean who nodded and patted him on the back.

"Yeah, she's gonna eat you alive," Sam said, still a little snarky with Jefferson after that punch the day before.

"Hey, I just spent the last month and a bit looking after your sister while you were shacked up with miss pink bra," Jefferson retorted at Sam. "Bring it!"

Pamela looked at me and winked, shaking her head a little as she passed by Sam and Jefferson again. "You're invited too, grumpy," she said to Sam with a wink.

Jefferson looked horrified and pointed at Sam. "You are _not _invited!" He said firmly. Dean chuckled and moved to slide his hands around my waist, pulling him back into him and kissing the back of my neck.

"Thank god I don't have those problems anymore," he said as he nuzzled my skin.

"Mmmm, I don't know... I get the feeling Pamela's the experimental type, she might give Olivia a run for her money," I said lightly, referring to the time we'd unwittingly ended up in the bed of a succubus – we'd had fun, but at a cost. I leaned back and ground myself against his groin, getting a low groan out of him.

"Uh, no thanks... no more sharing," Dean said, kissing me again. "Tease," he added before pulling away with a grin.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

The table had six lighted candles in the centre and I found myself sitting in the middle of Pamela and Beth as we all took a seat around the table.

"Right. Take each other's hands," Pamela said with a smile. "And I need to touch something our mystery monster touched," she added, sliding her hand in along my inner thigh causing me to jump.

"Whoa!" I said, glancing at Beth who grinned and raised an eyebrow. "Well, he didn't touch me there," I said with a bit of a chuckle.

"My mistake," she said with a smile, looking at me expectantly. I looked around at the faces gathered at the table, feeling a little nervous. Why did I suddenly feel like I was the key float at a Thanksgiving parade? Beth squeezed my hand and I took a deep breath, shrugging out of my shirt and then pulled the left sleeve up on my t-shirt, revealing the brand that was on my arm.

Sam and Jefferson stared at it shocked, and then I spotted them looking at Beth who smiled encouragingly at me. Pamela reached out and laid her hand on the scar.

"Okay," she said and we all closed our eyes waiting for her to begin." She started to chant in a commanding voice.

"I invoke, conjure and command you, appear unto me before this circle.  
I invoke, conjure and command you, appear unto me before this circle.  
I invoke, conjure and command you, appear unto me before this circle."  
A television flickered on to static but it didn't seem to worry Pamela who kept on chanting.

""I invoke, conjure and command … Castiel? No. Sorry, Castiel, I don't scare easy," she said, stopping and talking to something on the other side.

"Castiel?" I asked, looking at Pamela.

"Its name. It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back," she replied. The white noise and static from the TV continued and the table began to shake as Pamela pushed on.

"I conjure and command you, show me your face.  
I conjure and command you, show me your face.  
I conjure and command you, show me your face.  
I conjure and command you, show me your face."

The table started to move around a little more violently and Beth cast a concerned look at Pamela. "Maybe we should stop..."

"I almost got it," Pamela replied. "I command you, show me your face! Show me your face now!"

Suddenly the candles in the centre of the table flared to several feet tall and Pamela started to scream. Her eyes flew open and they were filled with a white-hot light. She collapsed on the table. I moved to grab her as the rattling and white noise disappeared, the flames dying down.

"Call 911!" Bobby shouted, taking Pamela in his arms and lowering her to the floor. Sam scrambled out of his chair and into the next room while the rest of us crouched around Pamela and Bobby.

There was blood seeping from her eyes, and they looked burned. She opened her eyelids to reveal black, empty sockets and I grimaced, pulling back, I hadn't seen anything like it outside of Hell. She sobbed, clutching at Bobby.

"I can't see! I can't see! Oh God!" She cried as Sam called for the ambulance.

* * *

_**Johnny Mac's Diner**_

**Dean's POV**

"Be up in a jiff," the waitress said with a smile as I finished placing my order for food. Beth was outside on the phone to Bobby, getting an update on Pam.

"That girl is blind because of us," I said to Jefferson and Sam, feeling the guilt seeping deep into my stomach. The things I'd done to people, the pain I'd caused, and I was still doing it on the other side.

"And we still have no clue who we're dealing with," Sam said, leaning back in his chair.

"That's not entirely true," Jefferson said quietly, looking thoughtful.

"No?" Sam asked.

"We got a name," I said with a nod. "Castiel, or whatever. With the right mumbo-jumbo we could summon him, bring him right to us." Jefferson was frowning at me and shaking his head.

"You're crazy. Absolutely not," he said, leaning forward and staring at me.

"Oh come on Jefferson, we'll work him over. I mean, after what he did?" I argued, we owed it to Pam to get some answers, and a little payback.

"Dean, Pam took a peek at him and her eyes burned out of her skull, and you want to have a face to face?" Sam asked, frowning at me.

"You got a better idea?" I asked.

"Well, I might," Jefferson said, "But I need some time to make a few calls, get my hands on something..." he added. "I'll be back, just don't do anything stupid," he cautioned.

"Well I have a better idea," Sam said as Jefferson got up and left. I looked expectantly at him. "I followed some demons to town, right?"

"Okay..." I said.

"So we go find them. Someone's gotta know something about something," Sam said.

The waitress came back carrying a couple plates of pie and put them on the table as Beth walked into the diner. I looked at the pie with a smile and picked up my fork, ready to dig in as the waitress sat down in the chair Jefferson had just vacated. I stopped, looking at her curiously as Beth hesitated, watching and frowning.

"You angling for a tip?" I asked.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Thought you were looking for us," she added, her eyes turning black.

"God..." Beth muttered, shaking her head, looking around the room with a wide-eyed look. She nodded at the cook and a uniformed man, who also showed their black eyes, the latter going to the door, locking it and standing in front.

Beth moved away from him, rounding to my side where I pulled her behind me, swallowing as I thought about our options.

"Dean," the waitress said with a smile as her eyes returned to normal. "To hell and back. Aren't you a lucky duck?"

"That's me," I said with a smirk, looking around and assessing our options. Near as I could tell it was three on three, but there was probably more of them hanging in the wings.

"So you get to just stroll out of the pit, huh? Tell me. What makes you so special?" She asked.

"I like to think it's because of my perky nipples," I said with a grin, trying not to show the nervousness I was feeling. She stared at me and I sighed. "I don't know. Wasn't my doing, I don't know who pulled me out."

"Right. You don't," she said sceptically.

"No. I don't," I reiterated, glaring at her.

"Lying's a sin, you know," she said with a smirk. I looked at her, assessing, seeing the uncertainty in her eyes.

"I'm not lying," I said honestly, pushing the subject. "But I'd like to find out, so if you wouldn't mind enlightening me, Flo..."

"Mind your tone with me boy, I'll drag you back to Hell myself," she threatened with a snarling look.

Sam shifted in his seat as if he was getting ready to attack, but I'd seen the flash in her eyes. I held up my hand and Sam stopped, settling back into his seat. I didn't dare give away my concern by looking, but I could feel Beth behind me, her hand against my back so I knew where she was, it jerked a little when the demon threatened to drag me back, but she stayed calm.

"No, you won't," I said with false confidence, smirking at her.

"No?"

"No," I said, leaning forward. "Because if you were you would have done it already. Fact is, you don't know who cut me loose. And you're just as spooked as we are. And you're looking for answers." She didn't move, but I knew I was on the right track.

"Well, maybe it was some turbo-charged spirit. Or, uh, Godzilla. Or some big bad boss demon. I'm guessing at your pay grade they don't tell you squat. Because whoever it was, they want me out. And they're a lot stronger than you," I sat back in my seat, looking at her mockingly. "So go head. Send me back. But don't come crawling to me when they show up on your doorstep with some Vaseline and a fire hose."

"I'm gonna reach down your throat and rip out your lungs," she said, but it was an empty threat. I leaned forward, sure to put my challenge into my eyes, amused, and then I slapped her, hard. She took it like a champ. When she looked up, I slapped her again, the sound ringing through the quiet diner. She did nothing but glare at us, starting to look nervous.

"That's what I thought," I said, glancing over at Sam who was looking surprised at me. "Let's go," I added, standing up and glancing back at Beth who was trying not to look flabbergasted at me.

The demon sat there, fuming as I took a roll of cash out of my pocket, peeling off a ten dollar bill and dropping it on the table.

"For the pie," I said, walking out of the diner.

As we left the diner I slid my arm around Beth, pulling her next to me and guiding us across the street to the car. "Holy crap, that was close," I said, breathing for the first time since the demons had revealed themselves.

"We're not just going to leave them in there, are we Dean?" Sam asked, glancing back at the diner.

"Well, yeah, there's three of them, probably more, and we've only got one knife between us," I said.

"I've been killing a lot more demons than that lately," Sam said and I looked at him.

"Not anymore, the smarter brother's back in town," I said.

"Dean, we've got to take 'em. They are dangerous," Sam insisted. I shook my head, looking at my little brother who was all gung-ho to go ganking demons.

"They're scared. Okay? Scared of whatever had the juice to yank me out. We're dealing with a mad mofo here. One job at a time!"

* * *

_**Later that night**_

**Beth's POV**

Sam and Bobby had taken up the adjoining room, leaving us alone, which normally we would have been jumping at, but Dean was a bundle of nerves, moving from couch, to bed, to minibar, and then back again. I watched him from where I was texting Jefferson, wondering where he'd gone to and what he was doing, surprised that he'd just dropped everything and taken off like he had.

"And he didn't say what he was doing?" I asked Dean, looking up as he took a sip from a little bottle of whiskey.

"No, just said he had to check on something, didn't give any indication what."

"Hmmm," I said thoughtfully, wondering what had caught his interest. It felt like maybe it was something I should know too since both our expertise was in similar areas. Jefferson had studied with my father; he knew pretty much everything my dad had known about demons: I was sure it had something to do with that. But what?

I looked at Dean who was standing around in the centre of the room looking a little lost and I sighed, putting my phone aside and getting up to run my hands along his chest.

"Hey," I said, looking into his eyes and he smiled at me. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing," he said, shrugging and sliding his hands around my waist.

"I know you better than that," I said, pulling him against me and raising my eyebrow. When he stubbornly refused to talk I slipped my hand behind his neck, kissing him lightly and waiting for him to respond, but finding unmoving lips. I pulled back, confused.

"What's wrong?"

"I hurt you..." he said, sighing, running a hand along my arm and looking where he was tracing along the skin.

"You didn't mean it," I said, realising what was on his mind.

"I couldn't control myself," he said, shaking his head and looking conflicted at me.

I looked back at him, putting all the love and trust I felt for him into my eyes. He had to know I would love him forever, no matter what. Sliding a hand along his cheek, I cupped the side of his face in my palm and he leaned into it, closing his eyes with a sigh.

"Yes you could, you stopped," I said quietly. Tentatively, I leaned up and caught his lips with my own again, sucking softly and trailing my tongue lightly along his upper lip, opening him to me and seeking more.

He groaned, responding and deepening the kiss, hands coming up to tangle in my hair as he kissed me with a quiet urgency. I couldn't help myself, I just wanted to feel his skin under my hands, to touch him and have him quiver beneath me and the thought drove me to start pulling at his shirt, sliding my hands up over his abs and chest until I tugged the shirt over his head, breaking our kiss.

Dean looked conflicted at me and I watched him carefully. It almost felt like how things had been after I'd lost the baby, and with a shock I now understood the patience he'd had with me, a patience I hadn't comprehended at the time. "We'll just take it slow," I said, and he nodded.

I kissed him again to silence the fear in his eyes and pulled him over to the bed, pushing him back against the pillow. I was already half undressed, running around the room in shorts and a tank top, but even that was too much. I slid the shorts down, revealing that I'd had nothing on underneath and Dean sucked in a breath, watching and waiting.

Moving to the bed, I crawled along the length of his body, sitting over his thighs and tugging at his belt then undoing his jeans. I climbed off and pulled them off him, his boxers going with them and leaving an arousal standing at half-mast. Dean swallowed and looked at me as I smiled, leaning down to take him in my mouth, sucking and flicking my tongue across his tip, drawing a moan out of him as he buried his hands in my hair.

He throbbed to life in my mouth as I quickened the pace and he guided me with his hands, moaning and thrusting softly up, moving with me. His hands tightened on my head and I looked up at him, he had his eyes tightly closed and his breathing had started to get erratic, but it wasn't the look I was used to, and he wasn't anywhere near close to finishing. I pulled away, sliding along his body, claiming my position over his groin, just resting him against my centre that was throbbing and ready to accept him.

Looking down, I brushed my hair across his face in a slow, tantalising tease and he sighed, his chest shuddering as he tried to relax.

"Do you want to stop?" I asked.

"No!" He said with a shake of his head. "No I want you, I need you."

I nodded with my eyes wide as I didn't know how to help him, I didn't know what to do.

"What do you need?" I asked, brushing my hand along his arm.

"I don't know..." he said, shaking his head. I looked at him with worry and then he said something I thought I'd never hear from him. "Just don't hurt me." I looked surprised, wondering where that had come from.

"Dean I love you, I would never hurt you," I said, but he didn't look convinced. Just what had they done to him down there? What had they done that I hadn't seen?

"Just breathe, I'm here, and nothing is going to hurt you," I said, brushing my hand along his face as I started to sink down on him, inch by inch until he was fully sheathed inside of me.

Dean took a deep shaky breath, moaning softly as I sat back far enough to balance, running my hands in wide circles all over his skin, softly massaging him and willing him to calm down. My hand ran up his left arm and I hesitated, causing him to open his eyes and look at my hand: it hovered on his bicep, and I stared at the mysterious red handprint on his arm, it still looked angry and sore.

"Oh Dean..." I said, and I trailed my fingers over the welts, gently touching them. Dean's breathing had started to sound panicked and I pulled my hand away, leaning down to kiss the redness, loving him and the scar upon his body. I kissed and licked my way up his shoulder, across his collarbone until I reached his lips, taking them in my mouth and sucking softly.

"I love you," I said softly and I started to rock into him slowly and methodically, grinding against him in a languid, deliberate rhythm. Dean grabbed my hips, holding me to him and moaned, throwing his head back into the pillow. We moved together, and it felt like riding a wave out to sea, I was drowning in all the sensations I hadn't felt in what seemed like forever, the tender pulse of him beneath me. I pulled my tank top off and he moaned appreciatively, his hands coming up to squeeze my breasts, pulling tautly at my nipples and causing me to shudder.

"Oh god..." I moaned, rocking a little more forcefully against him. As he drew nearer to his apex, I felt him start to thrust, holding me to him. Fiery green eyes looked up at me finally, and he smiled, watching me as I started to shudder, my own body beginning to react to the rocking.

My legs trembled and I gasped for breath as I felt a ripple of pleasure course through me. Dean sat up, his arms encircling me, pulling me down harder on to his arousal. Harder, deeper, every thrust took me further and further into our release and I slid my arms around his neck while he kissed my shoulders and pulled me urgently on to him, his release imminent.

"Beth," he groaned, hands sliding all along my back and up into my hair as he gasped, kissing me heatedly. "Please... oh please," he begged and I realised he was waiting for me. I moaned, kissing him back; rocking, clenching around him and flexing as my orgasm started to take hold.

I groaned again, kissing him in little fast kisses all over his jaw and face. "Yes... yes... now..." I shuddered, gasping for air and throwing my head back as I felt myself slip over the edge and he joined me, crying out with relief as he thrust forcefully once more into me, his hands grabbing at my hips and holding me as we moved. I shook uncontrollably, my legs turning to jello as I groaned and smiled, laughing softly with happiness to have him with me again.

I showered him with kisses as he moaned once more, rolling us on to the mattress where he pulled me in against him, his hands running the length of my body and holding me tight. I found myself pressed against his chest and as much as I loved it, yearned to have him touching me and holding me, dying in his arms wasn't something I wanted to do today.

"Dean..." I said softly and he shifted a little, still holding me just as tight. "Baby I can't breathe..." This got his attention and he released me a little so I could readjust, turning to rest my head in the crook of his neck and sliding my arm around his torso.

"Sorry," he said with a chuckle, kissing my forehead. His arms slid back around me and a thumb stroked along my cheek as he sighed happily. "So many times that would have just been a dream," he said, an ache in his voice as he sighed again.

"Not this time," I said. "This wasn't a dream." I splayed my hand across his chest, stroking him with a reassuring touch. He smiled and kissed the top of my head.

"I love you," he said softly and I looked up at him, smiling.

"I know," I said happily, leaning up to kiss him.

We relaxed into the afterglow of our passion and I moaned, grateful that we'd gotten that first time out of the way, we'd gotten off to a rocky start, and there seemed to be a few hurdles we had to manage, but at least we were together. I just wanted to be by his side forever, afraid that it might all be taken away from me at any time.

I wound myself around Dean's body, wrapping my left leg over his thighs, and clinging to him as we settled into the pillows. Dean flipped on the TV, channel surfing until he came to _The Princess Bride_, chuckling. I laughed as he quoted lines from the movie, watching as we lay together. This was one chick-flick that Dean begrudgingly admitted to liking in spite of the fact that he thought Westley was whipped.

* * *

**Sam's POV**

I let myself into the adjoining room and found Dean and Beth in bed, sheets tangled about them as she lay on top of him, resting over his chest with a smile on her face. They were both sound asleep and I smirked at them, shaking my head. Obviously there hadn't been any damage done to their libidos during Dean's absence.

I thought about Ruby and pushed her from my mind, I had more important things to be doing.

Grabbing the car keys, I crept quietly out the door, locking it behind me. I got into the Impala, starting her up and pulling away with a determination in my gut.

I was going to do this and get the job done, my way.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

I had a dead weight on me when I woke up, looking down and seeing Beth lying pretty much right on top of me, fast asleep. She might have been heavy, but she felt good, and I smiled as I stretched. I reached down and started stroking along her shoulders, up under her hairline to tickle the back of her neck. She moaned, opening one eye and looking up at me.

"Mmmm..." she said with a smile, a hand sliding down between my legs as she shifted slightly to accommodate her touches. I moaned softly as she brushed along my inner thigh and then took a nipple in her mouth, clamping down on it firmly. I arched to meet her mouth and grabbed at her shoulders, groaning my approval.

I tingled everywhere she touched as her soft skin rubbed along mine, moving up my body so she could sit in my lap, kissing me tenderly. I chuckled, grabbing her by the hips and rolling us until she was pinned underneath me. I caught her lips in my own, kissing her again with an eager sigh. I worked my way down her neck, wondering what she'd do if I left a dirty big hickey on her neck as I sucked softly on her skin.

Suddenly the TV flared to life and I frowned... had we rolled on to the clicker? It was blaring static at us and I felt around for the remote as I continued to kiss and nibble at Beth's skin. When the radio joined in with a whining squeal I looked up, now that wasn't random.

I reached down beside the bed, grasping the shotgun in my hand and looked at Beth who had stilled beneath me, watching and waiting. Suddenly the same high-pitched noise I'd heard at the gas station started to sound shrilly in the room and I grabbed at my head, moving to a kneeling position. There was a shattering sound above us as the mirror on the ceiling broke and I pulled the blanket over us, rolling us off the bed with a thud as glass rained down to the floor.

Beth grabbed the gun as I clutched at my ears, groaning from the pain and suddenly all the glass in the room shattered explosively, showering us in shards. Bobby burst into the room, looking around frantically.

"Dean! Beth!" He yelled as another window exploded in on him. I covered Beth over with the blanket, sheltering her with my body as the noise faded and then was gone.

* * *

**Beth's POV**

We'd dressed quickly, trying to avoid all the glass in the room. I grimaced at a few cuts on my arms and shoulders where the blanket had slipped down during one of the windows breaking, but they weren't life threatening, they wouldn't even need stitches.

Bobby was driving and we were in the Chevelle, Sam and Jefferson now both missing in action, Sam with the Impala. I reached forward and wiped some blood from Dean's face as he shifted in the passenger seat.

"How you guys doing?" Bobby asked, casting a look at us both.

"Aside from the church bells ringing in my head, peachy," Dean answered, turning to look at me. "Now, how come they didn't hurt you?" He asked, pointing out something I'd also noticed. I shrugged.

"I don't know Dean; I didn't hear any high-pitched ringing. It was more like a thousand voices started talking all at once, but I couldn't make out what they were saying." He frowned, shaking his head at me.

"This just gets better and better," he muttered, reaching for his phone and dialling Sam.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked when Sam answered and there was a brief pause.

"In my car?" Dean accused, scowling over the fact that the Impala was missing.

There was another brief pause and then Dean glanced over at Bobby. "Well, uh, Bobby's back. We're going to grab a beer," he said and I looked at him shocked, opening my mouth to speak but receiving a cautioning finger being held up.

Another pause and then Dean nodded. "Done. Catch you later," he said, hanging up.

"Why the Hell didn't you tell him?" Bobby asked.

"Because he'd just try to stop us," Dean said and I leaned forward, feeling a little sick to my stomach.

"Stop us from what?"

"Summoning this thing," Dean said, and Bobby looked at him in shock. "It's time we faced it head-on."

"You can't be serious Dean," I said, biting my lip.

"As a heart attack. It's high noon, baby," he said with a smile.

"Well, we don't know what it is. It could be a demon, it could be anything," Bobby said, always the voice of caution.

"That's why we've got to be ready for anything," Dean said, pulling out the demon killing knife. "We've got the big-time magic knife; you've got an arsenal in the trunk..."

"This is a bad idea," Bobby interrupted, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more, but what other choice do we have?" Dean asked.

"We could choose life," I said, sitting forward with a concerned look. I was fast on the track to wanting a quiet life in some backwater little town where the only thing we had to worry about was whether or not I'd remembered to pay the electric bill.

"Beth, whatever this is, whatever it wants, it's after me. That much we know, right? I've got no place to hide. I can either get caught with my pants down..." he looked at me with a raised eyebrow and chuckled, "...again, or we can make our stand."

I smirked and shook my head, typical Dean with the crazy plans, but he did have a point. This thing, whatever it was, seemed to be following Dean around and we needed to get to the bottom of it before it got to the bottom of us.

"Dean, we could use Sam for this..." Bobby said, glancing over at the man.

"Nah, he's better off where he is," Dean said, shaking his head, and for once I couldn't have agreed more.

* * *

_**Johnny Mac's Diner**_

**Sam's POV**

After I'd hung up from Dean I decided it was time to check out the diner. The demons had to be in there somewhere. I slipped my lock-picking tools out of my jacket and opened the front door, coming into the dining area. There was a song playing on the jukebox and as I peered around the dark room I saw the cook from earlier face down on the floor partially behind the counter.

I crouched down to get a better look, rolling him on to his back, recoiling at the black eye sockets and drying blood on his face. Just like Pamela, only she was still alive. I stood up cautiously and suddenly a figure tackled me from behind, both of us crashing into a table and hitting the ground hard. I groaned, rolling to my feet as the person hit me four or five times before I got in a head-butt, pushing her off me.

She punched me again, and then kicked. I turned to the side, blocking her leg and moving in to attack, kneeing her in the face and then the stomach as she groaned in pain, swinging around to face me with her fists in the air. It was only when the light hit her face that I saw the damage to her, she too had empty, burned out eye sockets, and was gasping with fear, fighting blind.

"Your eyes," I said, backing off a little.

"I can still smell your soul a mile away," she said in a defensive stance.

"It was here. You saw it," I said.

"I saw it," she nodded and started to sob.

"What was it?"

"It's the end. We're dead. We're all dead," she sobbed.

"What did you see?"

She snickered, her breath coming in short, panicked bursts. "Go to Hell," she said with a grimace.

"Funny," I said. "I was going to say the same thing to you."

I planted my feet, shutting my eyes in concentration as I tapped inside of me to the part that could pull a demon out of a body. I willed the demon to dematerialise and leave the body of the woman standing before me and she heaved, beginning to vomit up black smoke like all the others that had come before her. In seconds, the waitress had collapsed on the floor and the demon smoke was being sucked into the floor, well on its way to Hell.

Opening my eyes, I crossed to the woman who had passed out on the floor, feeling for a pulse. Nothing. "Damn it," I whispered, sighing with disappointment, it was never nice to come too later to save someone.

The door to the kitchen opened, and I looked up, not surprised to see Ruby standing in the shadows.

"Getting pretty slick there, Sam. Better all the time," she said with an approving smile. She leaned against the doorway, casting an appraising look over me and I looked down at the body in front of me, shaking my head as I stood up.

"What the hell is going on around here, Ruby?"

"I wish I knew," she said, looking down at the body.

"We were thinking some high level demon pulled Dean out," I said, peering at her, hoping she would have some answers.

"No way," she said with a shake of her head. "Sam, human souls don't just walk out of Hell and back into their bodies easy. The sky bleeds, the ground quakes. It's cosmic. No demon can swing that. Not Lilith, not anybody."

"Then what can?"

"Nothing I've ever seen," she said with a touch of fear in her eyes.

I sat down at one of the tables, looking at Ruby and she joined me.

"So. Million dollar question, are you going to tell Dean about what we're doing?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I just gotta figure out the right way to say it," I said. There had to be a way to make him understand that what I was doing was of benefit to the people I saved. Ruby looked at me with a smirk. "Look, I just need time, okay? That's all."

"Sam, he's going to find out, and if it's not from you he's going to be pissed," Ruby said.

"He's going to be pissed anyway. I mean, he's so hard-headed about this psychic stuff, he'll just try and stop me," I said.

"Look. Maybe I'll just take a step back for a while," she said quietly and my head shot up, looking at her.

"Ruby, you..."

"I mean, I'm not exactly in your brother's fan club, and your sister hates me. But they are your family, and I'm not going to come between you guys," she said. I sighed, shaking my head and looking down at my hands.

"I don't know if what I'm doing is right," I said, looking up at her again. "Hell, I don't even know if I trust you," I confessed.

"Thanks," Ruby scoffed, looking a little offended.

"What I do know is that I'm saving people. And stopping demons. And that feels good," I said, looking at her, a determination in my bones. "I want to keep going."

* * *

_**Abandoned Shed**_

**Beth's POV**

I finished up spray painting yet another symbol on to the floor of the abandoned shed we'd commandeered, turning to look at Bobby who was also painting symbols. They were all over the walls, every possible surface, every religion, every magical symbol of protection and entrapment we'd ever come across.

Dean was at a table, setting up our tools of the trade and he glanced up when he saw me straighten and look over at him. "That's a hell of an art project you've got going there," he said with a chuckle. I smiled, coming over to kiss him softly on the lips, nodding.

"Traps and talismans from every faith on the globe," I said. "How you doing?"

Dean looked down at the table and shrugged. "Stakes, iron, silver, salt, knife. I mean, we're pretty much set to catch and kill anything I've ever heard of," he said. I nodded and bit my lip, hopefully we had stuff to deal with the things we hadn't heard of either.

"This is still a bad idea," Bobby said, coming to join us.

"Yeah, Bobby, I head you the first ten times," Dean said with a sigh. "What do you say we ring the dinner bell?"

Bobby looked at me and I nodded, in complete agreement with Dean. I just wanted to get this thing over and done with. With a reluctant shake of his head, Bobby moved over to another table we'd set up and took a pinch of powder from a bowl, sprinkling it into a larger bowl where it started to smoke. Bobby paused, allowing it to gather momentum before starting to chant in Latin.

When he'd finished we looked around, waiting for the big bad creature to be summoned into our midst, only there was nothing. I frowned and exchanged a look with Dean. How long was this going to take?

Fifteen minutes later we were still waiting and I was sitting next to Dean on a table, swinging my legs and starting to think we'd screwed something up.

"You sure you did the ritual right?" Dean asked Bobby who shot him a dirty look. "Sorry. Touchy, touchy, huh?"

Suddenly a loud rattling shook the roof of the shed and we jumped to our feet, arming ourselves with shotguns, moving to the end of the shed, away from the door.

"Wishful thinking, but maybe it's just the wind?" Dean said, looking at me. I threw him a wild look. Wasn't like any wind I'd ever heard.

Suddenly the door burst open and a man walked in wearing a trench-coat. The light bulbs above him shattered in sparkling displays of glass as he stalked into the building toward us, snapping and raining glass overhead as he passed. I cocked the shotgun in my hands and fired when Dean and Bobby opened fire, but the shots didn't even slow the guy down.

Dean backed away from us, and the man turned to face him, I could see Dean watching him with careful eyes.

"Who are you?" Dean asked, looking at the man.

"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition," the man answered, tilting his head to the side.

Dean's eyes opened wider, and he stepped forward, not missing a beat. "Yeah, thanks for that," he said and the man nodded at him while Dean took a swing, bringing the knife around to stab him in the chest, staring into the eyes of his saviour.

My breath caught in my throat as the man looked down at the knife embedded in his chest and then reached up to pull it out, dropping it to the floor. Bobby moved to attack and without looking the man grabbed Bobby's gun and swung him around. I gasped with surprise as the man reached out, touching Bobby on the forehead with his fingertips. Without any fight, Bobby crumpled to the ground.

"We need to talk, Dean," the man said, then turned to me and reached out. "Alone." I jumped back, expecting it. I'd had that done to me before; he wasn't going to catch me out like the last time.

Dean moved to put himself between me and the man; his arms reaching back to feel where I was. "No, don't you touch her," he said with a threatening tone and the man stopped, looking at us and then nodding.

I knelt down beside Bobby, feeling for a pulse. "Your friend's alive," the man said.

"Who are you?" Dean asked, and for the first time I got a good look at the man, worse: I recognised him.

"Castiel," he answered, but I climbed to my feet, grabbing at Dean's arm.

"No... no I know him. I know you," I said, looking at him.

"What are you talking about? How could you know him?" Dean asked with a frown, turning to the man.

"_What are you?" _Dean asked, pulling me beside him and away from the man again.

"I'm an angel of the Lord," the man said and I shook my head, a pain starting to pound behind my eyes.

"Get the Hell out of here," Dean said soberly. "There's no such thing."

"This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith," Castiel said, looking over at me. "Unlike Beth, whose faith has seen you out of Hell and back into her arms." He looked back at Dean and a lightning flash lit up the dark room we were in. Light continued to flash as a silhouette appeared on the wall behind the man, it was of wings unfolding, spreading the width of the shed and stretching off into the distance. The light suddenly went out and the image disappeared, leaving me blinking.

I stared at him, tears in my eyes and shaking my head. Angels? Dean turned to look at me, staring in shock.

"Some angel you are, you burned out that poor woman's eyes," Dean countered.

"I warned her not to spy on my true form," Castiel said. "It can be … overwhelming to humans… and so can my real voice. But you already knew that," he said, looking at Dean.

"You mean the gas station and the motel? That was you talking?" Castiel nodded, turning to look at me curiously. Dean didn't see the look. "Wait, how long were you there?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

Castiel looked at him, completely devoid of emotion. "If you mean was I there to witness you both coupling, then yes, but it is of no consequence," he answered and Dean staggered a little.

"Freaking pervert!" He said, waving his hand in the air and shaking his head. I felt myself blush, covering my face with my hands.

"Buddy, next time, lower the volume," Dean said. "You freaking broke a mirror on top of us!"

"That was my mistake," Castiel said. "Certain people, special people, can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong." Dean looked a little taken aback, and I was frowning, thinking about the voices I'd heard in the motel.

"And what visage are you in now, huh?" Dean asked. "What, holy tax accountant?"

Castiel looked down at his body and shrugged. "This? This is... a vessel," he answered, looking up.

"You're possessing some poor bastard?" Dean asked with a frown.

Castiel looked at me, his familiar eyes watching me. "He's a devout man, he actually prayed for this. You all do, it is in your family. Do you recognise me Beth?" Castiel asked and I nodded, not wanting to believe my eyes.

"You're my uncle," I said, stepping toward him. I hadn't seen him in twenty-five years, but he still looked the same, just older. Castiel nodded.

"This body, yes. Your mother's family is of a holy line, a line of vessels that has been passed on from the time when angels walked the earth." I stared at him.

"My mother said she heard angels," I said. Dean stepped forward, grabbing my arm and pulling me away.

"You actually believe this bullshit?" He asked, looking me in the eyes.

"I don't know Dean... but that... that is my uncle Jimmy standing right there in front of me!" I said, a slow pounding ache in my head starting to throb.

"Well, uncle or not, I'm not buying what you're selling, so who are you really?" Dean asked, looking at the man.

Castiel frowned, looking at Dean. "I told you."

"Right," Dean said, nodding sceptically. "And why would an angel rescue me from Hell?"

"Good things do happen, Dean," Castiel said, stepping in front of us.

"Not in my experience," Dean snapped back and I looked at him, sliding my arm through his.

Castiel looked at Dean with intrigue, his eyes narrowing as he tried to comprehend what Dean was saying. "What's the matter?" He asked, staring into Dean's eyes and watching him carefully. After a moment Castiel's eyes opened wider and he looked surprised at what he'd seen there. "You don't think you deserve to be saved?" He asked with a gentle, incredulous voice.

Dean looked at me, and I bit my lip, watching at him sadly. He didn't, I knew that, years of being told he wasn't good enough had destroyed his self-esteem to the point where Dean though he deserved the bad things that were thrown his way.

Castiel looked at me and then back at Dean. "Beth believed you deserved saving, she's the reason I was chosen to pull you out of Hell." Dean scoffed, shaking his head.

"You're telling me that you pulled me out of Hell because my wife prayed for it?" He asked, and Castiel nodded once.

"That is partly why," he said.

"And what's the other reason?" Dean asked, looking sceptically at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Because God commanded it," Castiel replied. "Because we have work for you."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

* * *

Song for this chapter is _A Thousand Years _by Christina Perri. Love it!

* * *

He's back! ****happy dance****

* * *

I should have more to say, but I don't. I'm all talked out with the story. I hope I've done it justice and offered a little intrigue. There's more to Beth & Castiel than meets the eye :) We're going to find out a little more about their history very soon!

* * *

Please leave a review, you know I love it and it makes my day!

I promise I will be replying soon, I've just been working away at this while I was inspired and haven't had a chance to sit and actually compose replies to the reviews and PM's I have already received, please don't let that deter you!

* * *

As always, thanks to EarthhAngel for her beta reading and being a sounding board for story ideas. Be sure to pop over to her fanfic _How to save a life _as there's a new chapter up with a fun little moment where John lectures Beth about being an immature 20yr old - haha.


	6. Are You There God?

_Feels like we're chasing things we just can't reach  
As we try to wake from this dreamless sleep  
And I know we're better than these things we've done  
The days run like wild horses over the hills  
And we may not find it at 100 miles an hour  
If we're still trapped by yesterday, we'll always be a hundred miles away_

_Seein' our ghosts, Seein' our ghosts,  
Seein' our ghosts everywhere we go  
Seein' our ghosts, Seein' our ghosts  
Seein' our ghosts everywhere we go_

* * *

**ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME DEAN WINCHESTER**

* * *

_**Five years ago  
Millsboro, Delaware**_

**Beth's POV**

_I jumped as a hand slid up my back at the same time a set of fireworks went off in someone's backyard nearby. The major fireworks were almost ready to begin, and I hadn't been expecting something to go off right at that moment. _

"_Haha, gotcha," Dean said, sliding his arms around my waist and pulling me in to his body, kissing the side of my neck. I rolled my eyes and leaned back into him, turning to nuzzle against his face._

"_That's mean," I complained to which Dean chuckled and pulled me back down to the picnic blanket I had been standing over. _

"_You're getting slack," he said, raising an eyebrow, and I groaned._

"_You sound like Dad...we're supposed to be on a break!" _

"_Doesn't mean you have to get sloppy, what if I'd been a...wendigo?" he asked, and I looked at him incredulously, it had been years since we'd seen one of those._

"_A wendigo?" I asked, to which he nodded. "In Delaware?" _

_Dean shrugged. "Stranger things have happened," he commented with a sly grin as he took a sip of his beer. I laughed lightly and crawled over to where he was sitting, climbing into his lap, taking the beer from his hand and having a sip before putting it to the side on the cooler._

"_Well then, I guess I'd just have to rely on my knight in shining armour to come rescue me," I said cheekily, settling in his lap and kissing him. Dean's hands trailed down over my thighs and I moaned as he changed direction when he hit the hem of my dress, sliding under it and along the bare skin of my thighs._

_With a groan, he pulled back from kissing me and looked me in the eyes. "You're just trying to drive me insane aren't you?" He asked._

"_What? A girl's not allowed to wear a dress once in a while?" I asked innocently, he smiled, sliding his hand a little further and raising his eyebrow at me._

"_Uh, they usually wear underwear with said dress..." he replied, a thumb tracing along my pelvic bone in teasing circles. _

"_Happy fourth of July," I said with a kiss, taking his bottom lip between my teeth and nipping just a little before slipping my tongue in to meet his. Dean groaned and rolled me over to the picnic blanket, his hand snaking further along and lifting my dress a little._

"_Thank God it's dark," he said with a grin, starting to get a little hands-on. I moaned softly, lying back against the blanket and pulling him a little closer. _

_Fireworks erupted overhead in a burst of colour and I gasped, Dean didn't stop his ministrations, simply turning slightly to look up at the fireworks at the same time as he teased my body into attention._

"_Mmmm," he murmured, leaning in to kiss along my neck. "Let's see if we can't get the fireworks to come with the fireworks," he said and I groaned as he slipped a finger inside of me, stroking and sending a rush of heat through my body. _

"_Oh god..." I moaned, arching to his touch._

"_God hasn't got anything to do with this sugarpie..." Dean said with a grin, claiming my lips and smothering my next moan with a kiss._

* * *

_**Present Day**_

_**Bobby's House  
Sioux Falls, South Dakota**_

**Beth's POV**

One thing about having Dean back, the world hadn't changed so much that he and Sam weren't arguing a day after he'd been brought back from the dead. Bobby was sitting at his desk in the library with a pile of books in front of him; Sam was sitting at the kitchen table with his own stack of research while I had claimed the couch, flipping through a book on angels. Dean was pacing between the kitchen and the library, at odds with Sam already.

"Well, then tell me what else it could be," Sam said, referring to Castiel, the angel we'd met the night before.

"Look, all I know is I was not groped by an angel," Dean argued, completely unconvinced of Castiel's story.

"Okay, look, Dean. Why do you think Castiel would lie to you about it?" Sam asked.

"Maybe he's some kind of demon. Demons lie," Dean said.

"He didn't feel like a demon, I didn't feel sick around him at all..." I offered up, frowning. "...until that damn headache."

"Plus, a demon who's immune to salt rounds and devil's traps...and Ruby's knife?" Sam asked. "Dean, Lilith is scared of that thing!"

"Don't you think if angels were real, that _some_ hunter _somewhere_ would have seen one...at _some point...ever_?" Dean asked, leaning back against the bench.

"Yeah. You just did, Dean," Sam snapped back.

"My Dad believed in them, so did Mom," I said, sitting up and frowning at Dean. It wasn't that implausible. "So did my uncle..." I added, "and you haven't come up with a reason as to why he's running around claiming to be an angel!"

"I'm trying to come up with a theory here," Dean said, sighing. "Okay? Work with me."

"Dean, we have a theory," Sam said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, one with a little less fairy dust on it, please," Dean said.

"Okay, look. I'm not saying we know for sure," Sam said. "I'm just saying that I think we..."

"Okay, okay. That's the point," Dean cut in, throwing his hand in the air. "We don't know for sure, so I'm not gonna believe that this thing is a freaking _Angel of the Lord_ because it says so!"

I groaned and stood up, closing the book in my hands. "Well I believe him!" I said forcefully. "I don't see any reason not to."

"Oh, come on Beth!" Dean said, tossing me a frustrated look. "Since when have we ever heard of angels in human bodies, appearing to people at all for that matter? If that's your uncle – the same uncle you haven't seen in like _twenty years _then it's more likely he's possessed by a demon."

"I told you, he didn't feel like a demon!"

"Are you chuckleheads going to keep arguing religion, or do you want to come take a look at this?" Bobby cut in and the three of us stopped to look at him. With a shrug, I wandered over to stand next to him, looking down at a large medieval tome sitting atop all the other books.

"I got stacks of lore – Biblical, pre-Biblical. Some of it's in damn cuneiform. It all says an angel can snatch a soul from the pit," Bobby said.

"What else?" Dean asked.

"What else, what?" Bobby questioned.

"What else could do it?"

"Airlift your ass out of the hot box?" Bobby asked and Dean nodded. "As far as I can tell, nothing," he answered.

"Dean, this is good news," Sam said.

"How?"

"Because for once, this isn't just another round of demon crap," Sam said. "I mean, maybe you were saved by one of the good guys, you know?"

I had to agree with him, it was a little bit of a relief to think that maybe for once all the prayers and faith had paid off.

"Okay," Dean said tentatively. "Say it's true. Say there are angels. Then what? There's a God?"

"At this point, Vegas money's on yeah," Bobby said, looking up at us. I walked around to Dean, laying a hand on his arm and looking up at his wary eyes.

"I don't know, guys," he said.

"Okay, look. I know you're not all choirboy about this stuff, you never have been," I said to him. "And you know, you always said I believe enough for the both of us, but Dean, this is becoming less and less about faith, and more about proof." Dean sighed, looking at me disbelievingly.

"Proof?"

"Yeah," I said with a nod.

"Proof that there's a God out there that actually gives a crap about me personally?" He asked, letting out a hot breath. "I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it."

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Because why me? If there is a God out there, why would he give a crap about me?" Dean asked.

"Dean..." I said, biting my lip.

"I mean, I've saved some people, okay? I figured that made up for the stealing, ditching chicks and pre-marital sex. But why do I deserve to get saved? I'm just a regular guy." He looked at me and reached a hand out to touch my cheek. "You pray every night... you have an almost unlimited faith in angels and God, but you've had the worst things happen to you Beth. Why isn't he looking after you?"

"Well, apparently, you're a regular guy that's more important to the man upstairs," I said with a smile. "Besides, taking care of you _is _looking after me." Dean looked a little disturbed, a frown creasing his brow as he shook his head.

"Well, that creeps me out. I mean, I don't like getting singled out at birthday parties, much less by...God," he said.

"Okay, well, too bad Dean," Sam said. "Because I think he wants you to strap on your party hat."

I chuckled, shaking my head a little. There were a lot of unanswered questions, and I hoped I could get some answers soon because I was still reeling from the fact that I'd just come face to face with a being that I'd been praying to all my life.

Dean sighed, clearing his throat. "Fine," he conceded. "What do we know about angels?"

Bobby smirked and picked up a pile of old tomes from the side of his desk, dumping them in front of us. "Start reading," he said with a serious look. Dean looked at the books and sighed, turning to Sam.

"You're gonna get me some pie," he said, and then turned to me. "And you are going to start by telling me everything you know about angels," he said, grabbing the top book off the pile and looking at it in disgust. I chuckled, this was going to be a long day.

* * *

_**Five years ago  
Millsboro, Delaware**_

**Beth's POV**

_Fireworks were raging inside of me and above me as I threw my head back on the picnic blanket, trying not to make it obvious what Dean was doing to me right in that moment. We had set up a good ten yards or so from anyone else on a grassy knoll overlooking the local school and football field, but even still, sound carried regardless of the fireworks. _

_Dean slowed his touch down, teasing me by dragging his fingers across my clitoris in an achingly slow and light movement. I groaned and grabbed his butt tightly in my hand, holding on and rocking into him. _

"_Come on… that's mean…" I moaned to him as he chuckled and started to stroke me in earnest again. I shuddered, feeling my climax coming hard and fast as he kissed me. I moaned into the kiss, arching to his touch and gasping for air as a warm rush of energy pulsated out, spreading down my legs and up my stomach. The pulse built on top of itself, aching and crashing as I rubbed my body along Dean's, my knee pressed between his legs and against his arousal as his fingers worked me. _

"_Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I jumped when a scream went up nearby, almost muffled by the exploding fireworks overhead and Dean looked up, his hand paused._

"_W__hat was that?" I said, looking down toward where the sound had come. People were starting to run toward a family at another picnic blanket and Dean frowned, pulling his hand out._

_"Son of a bitch!" He said, groaning and getting up, pulling me to my feet as we walked down the incline to investigate what was happening. _

_As we reached the gathering crowd of people Dean pushed his way through the people._

"_Police officer, coming through, coming through, police…" He pulled me with him, and when we got to the scene in the centre of the crowd I gasped. _

_Spread out on the grass, blood spilling everywhere, was a man in his mid-forties, his intestines ripped out in a bloody mess. There was a woman nearby, the one who had screamed I presumed, who was rocking and sobbing as she held a little girl in her arms. _

_Dean and I exchanged a look of concern as he moved toward the woman and I went to inspect the body, grimacing at the mess that was once the man's stomach. It didn't look to me like a human attack, or even any wild animal you'd find in Delaware. _

_I stood, walking over to Dean and looking at him as he knelt down next to the woman. With a shake of my head, he sobered, and turned to the woman. _

"_Hi, I'm Detective Ford, can you tell me what happened?" He asked. The woman looked up at him with desperate eyes and I glanced back at the body. Looked like our little holiday had just been cut short. What a buzz kill._

* * *

_**Present Day**_

_**Diner-Cafe  
Sioux Falls, South Dakota**_

**Sam's POV**

I hadn't even reached the diner when Dean started calling me with a shopping list of food to get him.

"_And Beth wants jelly beans," _Dean said, adding to the list. _"Don't forget the chips."_

"Yes, Dean, I'll get the chips," I said, rolling my eyes.

"_And for the love of God, don't forget the pie!" _

"Dude. When have I ever forgotten the pie?" I asked, amused by his response. Dean paused, thinking about that question.

"_Uh, never?" _He asked.

"Exactly." I got out of the car, shaking my head. When I turned around I saw Ruby hanging out by the side of the diner, my eyes met hers and I saw a hesitation there, she looked nervous. "I got to go," I told Dean.

"_Yeah well don't take all day, I'm hungry!" _

"Yeah, all right. Bye." I said, hanging up and starting immediately for Ruby. She looked at me with her big brown eyes.

"So, is it true?" She asked, moving around the side of the diner. I looked at her and frowned.

"Is what true?"

"Did an angel rescue Dean?" She questioned, fear sitting behind her eyes.

"You heard," I said curiously.

"Who hasn't?"

I put my hands on my hips, nodding at a truck driver as he came out of the diner and walked past.

"We're not 100% sure, but I think so," I answered. Ruby's mouth dropped open a little and she looked frightened.

"Okay," she said breathlessly, her chest rising a little faster. "Bye, Sam." She turned to walk away but I grabbed her arm, pulling her back to face me.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait. What's going on?" I asked, confused.

"Sam, they're _angels. _I'm a demon. They're not gonna care if I'm being helpful," she said. "They smite first, and then they ask questions later." I felt my heart beat a little faster at the thought of her being in danger, frowning.

"What do you know about them?" I asked.

"Not much. I've never met one, and I don't really want to. All I know is that they scare the holy hell out of me," she said. "Watch yourself Sam."

I scoffed, shaking my head. "I'm not scared of angels."

She looked at me like I should be, sighing and then turning around to walk away.

* * *

_**Five years ago  
Millsboro, Delaware**_

**Beth's POV**

_The woman's name was Vanessa Davis, she was the man's wife and the little girl, Emily, was their daughter. They'd just been watching the fireworks when he's started screaming and clutching at his stomach. It had happened in the course of thirty seconds, one second he'd been fine and the next he'd fallen to the ground, his stomach spilling out of his body._

"_How does that happen?" Vanessa asked, looking at Dean who had a grim face on. "I mean, there was no one here around us, there was nothing," she said, looking up at me. "Can you explain that?" _

_I shook my head at her, thinking that this was starting to sound more and more like one of our cases the more we heard. The real police had arrived and were making their way across the yard. I met Dean's eyes and inclined my head in their direction._

"_Okay, well, I need to take a few more statements Mrs Davis, these officers coming will help you with anything you might need."_

"_They might need you to tell your story again," I put in and she looked at us confused. "We're off duty, so officially, they will probably ask you to make a statement."_

"_Right," Dean said with a nod. "But we're going to start investigating this right now, we'll get to the bottom of it," he promised, handing her a business card. "Here are our numbers, tuck them away for now and if you need anything, don't hesitate to call, okay?"_

_Vanessa nodded and put the business card into her jeans pocket, sniffing and wiping her nose with a handkerchief. Dean stood up and took my arm, leading us away from the crowd. _

"_What do you think did it?" I asked once we were out of earshot and heading for the car._

"_I don't know, she didn't see anything, didn't hear anything, it's like the damn Hollowman attacked," he said. _

"_So what's our next move?"_

_Dean stopped and sighed, looking at me. "Well it isn't picking up where we left off," he said with a disappointed look. I laughed, shaking my head. _

"_Oh come on... we can't research _all _night," I said with a grin. He chuckled and slid his hand around my waist, tracing light circles at my hip. _

"_I was kind of hoping you'd say that," he said, kissing my cheek. "Let's go."_

* * *

_**Present Day  
Bobby's House**_

**Beth's POV**

When Sam got back with the car, Bobby and I went out to meet him. I opened the back door and climbed in while Sam looked at me in confusion.

"Keep the engine running," I said to his raised eyebrow.

"Why? What's going on?"

Bobby leaned in the open window and looked at Sam. "I got a friend one state over – Olivia Lowry. I've been trying to reach her on this angel thing. It's not like her to ignore this many calls."

"Olivia Lowry – a hunter, right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. We're gonna go check on her. You guys follow me," Bobby answered as Dean came out of the house carrying a few books and tossing them in the back seat with me.

"Scoot over," Dean said as he came around to the driver's side of the car. He reached over and grabbed the bag of food Sam had brought and looked inside with an excited grin. His face fell and he looked up at Sam.

"Dude?" He questioned

"Yeah?"

"Where's the pie?!" He asked with an incredulous look. Sam swallowed and shrugged while Dean continued to stare at him.

"I guess I forgot..."

"Forgot?! You know what? The next time you ask me 'Dude when have I ever forgotten the pie?' you know what I'm gonna say? _Today! _Today is when you forgot the damn pie!" Dean complained. I reached forward with a chuckle and squeezed his shoulder.

"We'll stop on the way and get you some," I said and he sighed, looking at me and starting the car.

"Nah, moment's gone," he said, and he pulled out of the drive following Bobby.

* * *

_**Present Day  
Olivia's House**_

**Beth's POV**

It took us eight hours to get to Olivia's, I was just grateful that she was living in Nebraska now, rather than the first time we'd met her many years ago when she was living in Ohio, that would have been a bit of a longer drive; eight hours in the car with Dean and Sam who were still debating the angel possibilities was enough.

Bobby entered the house as soon as we got there. We all pulled out our guns, even Sam, and followed him into the little foyer.

"Olivia?" Bobby called out. He led the way into the kitchen which adjoined the living room. As we rounded into the living room he froze. Olivia was on the floor, covered in blood and most definitely dead. I grimaced, turning away, it was almost too gruesome to look at, her enter chest was shredded like she'd been gutted.

Bobby turned on his heel and walked quickly for the door.

"Bobby?" I called out after him but he didn't stop. Exchanging a look with the boys, we continued into the house to investigate further.

Sam pointed to the doorway that separated the living room from the kitchen. "Salt line," he commented. A bag of salt was lying on the floor, she'd only gotten part way to pouring a barrier.

Dean looked over at a weapons locker and moved to pick up a discarded item, turning to us. "Olivia was rocking the EMF meter," he said, holding it up.

I nodded, swallowing hard. "Spirit activity," I said.

"Yeah... on steroids. I've never seen a ghost do this to a person," Dean said. I looked at Olivia again, feeling a little green around the gills.

"Yes we have," I said quietly and he looked up at me. "Remember? Delaware?" His eyes widened a little and he looked at Olivia again.

"Yeah, yeah... not quite as violent as this though, I mean, ribs and all... it's like something almost exploded from the inside out – it wasn't anything that bad in Delaware," he said. I agreed.

"What was in Delaware? You guys never told me this," Sam asked.

Bobby came back into the house with his phone in hand, he looked pale and was breathing hard.

"Bobby are you all right?" I asked, dismissing Sam's question.

"I called some hunters nearby..." He said.

"Good, we can use the help," Dean said.

"...except they ain't answering their phones either," he continued.

"Something's up, huh?" Sam asked.

"You think?" Bobby asked sarcastically. He took another long look at Olivia and the turned again and walked out of the house. I sighed and glanced down at the body. Whatever this was, it didn't sound good.

An hour later we had called around a lot of different hunters. Dean was on the phone to Jed who hadn't answered, we'd decided to go pay him a visit while Bobby took another hunter who wasn't answering.

"Jefferson, it's Beth, you need to call me back, as soon as you get this. I don't care what you're doing, or who you're doing, just check in." I said, hanging up my phone and shaking my head at Dean as he glanced back at me in the mirror. He grimaced and grit his teeth.

"Cole's all right," Sam said, "although she cussed a blue streak at me..." I smirked and looked out the window. He kind of had that coming. "She's gonna spirit proof where she is, something about being a few days out from Bobby's." I nodded, hopefully she'd be safe enough now she had a heads up something seemed to be after all the hunters.

By the time we found Jed it had gotten dark and a sick feeling had started to sit in my gut. Dean dialled Bobby with a grim look and waited for him to answer.

"Hey Bobby," he said. "We're at Jed's. It's not pretty. He looks even worse than Olivia. What about you?" Bobby answered and Dean shook his head at us while he listened.

"What the Hell is going on here, Bobby? Why did a bunch of ghosts suddenly want to gank off-duty hunters?" He asked, listening a little longer. "Yeah, we're on our way."

"What?" I asked as Dean started to walk back to the car.

"Carl Bates and RC have redorated in red too," he commented as we got in the Impala. "Time to get back to Bobby's until we figure out what's going on."

* * *

_**Impala**_

**Sam's POV**

Four hours into the return trip Beth had taken over driving, Dean was exhausted and a menace to people on the road. We pulled into a little gas station, thankful there was something open in the middle of the night so we could fill up. I got out to get the gas pumping and Beth pulled out her phone, starting to look a little panicked.

"Jefferson, I'm waiting on my call back, this isn't funny, call me," she said, hanging up.

I shook my head and walked toward the toilet. Always a little disgusted by the filth you found in some of these backwater bathrooms, I quickly relieved myself and then turned to wash my hands. The air suddenly turned cold, and I could see my breath as I exhaled, creating a foggy mist. The mirror started to fog over too and I wiped it away with my hand, feeling my heart start to race. When I looked in the mirror, Henriksen was looking back at me and I jumped, not expecting that.

"Hi Sam, it's been a while," he said with a smile. I looked at him, he was wearing the same suit he'd had on the day we'd left him in Colorado, right before the wedding, right before he'd died.

"Henriksen. Are you – did you...?" He flickered before my very eyes as I stumbled to get my question out.

"I didn't survive... if that's what you're asking," he answered.

"I'm sorry," I said, feeling my heart sink.

"I know you are," he said.

"Look, if we'd known Lilith was coming..."

"You wouldn't have left half a dozen innocent people in that police station to die in your place," he interrupted, and I nodded, swallowing hard. "You did this to me," Henriksen said. "It was your fault. She was after you, and I paid the price. You left us there to die!"

He grabbed me, shoving me into a locker, and then grabbing my jacket. I looked down and noticed a brand mark on his hand before he swung me around into the mirrors and then rammed my head into a sink. The sickening sound of my head hitting the porcelain rang right through me as I fell to the floor, gasping for breath, searing pain shooting through me.

Henriksen stood over me, and then a gunshot went off, and Beth was standing there with the shotgun, looking wide eyed at the space where Henriksen had just disappeared from.

* * *

_**Five years ago  
Millsboro, Delaware**_

_**Beth's POV**_

_I was frowning at computer screen and Dean looked over curiously. "What's up?" _

"_Well... this isn't the first death of someone in Vanessa's family recently," I said, looking up at him. "Her mother died from suspicious dog attack injuries two weeks ago, and a few days later her brother fell down the stairs at the family home and broke his neck."_

"_Wow, it is just me or that a run of really bad luck?" Dean asked with a frown._

"_Well there's certainly something going on," I said, sitting back in my chair and glancing at my watch. It was eight in the morning. "We should go question her some more after breakfast, that's if the cops haven't already hauled her in."_

_Dean nodded from where he was reading through a book on black dogs. "Well, I thought maybe it was a black dog," he said. "But they're not in the habit of knocking people down stairs."_

"_No, they're not."_

_Two hours later we were sitting in Vanessa Davis' house and she looked shaky and upset. _

"_Thanks for seeing us so early Mrs Davis," I said with a smile and she nodded, rubbing at her eyes, she looked as if she hadn't slept a wink over night._

"_I talked to your other officers last night, they seemed to think it was suspicious that my husband is now dead, am I going to be arrested?"_

"_Why don't you tell us what happened to your mother and brother?" Dean asked, avoiding the question._

"_Uh... well Mum was out for a walk and a neighbour found her not ten yards down the road... a dog had attacked her. My brother, he... he came down for the funeral and he took a wrong turn or something in the dark and fell down the stairs. I don't understand how any of this has to do with Jeffrey's death!" She started to cry and dabbed at her eyes with a tissue._

"_Well, it doesn't hurt to cover everything ma'am," Dean said with a smile. She frowned but didn't argue. _

"_Mrs Davis, sorry, do you mind if I use your bathroom?" I asked, looking at her apologetically. She looked up and nodded, pointing toward the stairs. _

"_First door at the top of the stairs," she said, I smiled and left Dean to question her further._

_As I got to the top of the stairs I took an EMF reader out and waved it along the bannister, the reader spiked and flickered the closer I got to the top. Glancing back toward the living room, I could just see Dean sitting on the couch talking. I crept along the landing at the top of the stairs and followed the energy spike on the EMF into a room._

"_Who are you?" A little voice asked me as I started to enter the room, and I looked around to see the girl from last night standing between me and the bathroom. _

"_Um, I'm a police officer. My name is Beth. What's yours?" I said, releasing the handle to the bedroom._

"_Emily," she said._

"_Emily, that's a nice name. Well, Emily, I'm here to help find out what happened to your Daddy," I said. She looked at me sceptically and then pointed to the EMF reader in my hand._

"_What's that?"_

"_This? Well, it's a machine that tells me if there's any weird things happening in your house. Can you tell me if maybe the house gets cold at different times, or the lights turn on and off?" I wasn't fully convinced I should be saying all this, but the one thing I remembered about being a kid was that you generally appreciated not being treated like an idiot._

_Emily looked thoughtfully at me, and then nodded._

"_It gets cold when my Grandpa comes around," she said._

_I looked at her curiously. "Grandpa? And where does he live?" I asked._

"_He's dead, but he visits me," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. _

"_Oh," I said. _

_I stood up, thinking this new information over. _

"_Beth?" Dean's voice sounded from below on the ground floor, I looked over the railing and nodded at him. "You ready to go?"_

"_Yeah," I said with a nod, noting Vanessa standing next to him and warily watching Emily. "I'm good."_

_I hurried down the stairs, glancing up once more at Emily and frowning. We had to learn more about this Grandpa and whether or not he was the cause for the family murders._

* * *

_**Impala**_

**Beth's POV**

It was a quick run back to the car as I helped Sam into the back seat, sliding behind the wheel and peeling out from the gas station in a hurry. The sound and motion woke Dean who looked up and around at my pensive expression, and then Sam's bloody, beaten face as he dabbed at the bruises and cuts with a cloth.

"What the hell happened to you?" He asked.

"Spirit," I said, watching the road. He looked down at the shotgun next to me and sobered, shaking his head. "Call Bobby," I added. "These things have found us too."

Dean nodded, opening his phone and dialling, listening to it ring. "Damn it, Bobby! Pick up!" He glanced back at Sam. "How you feeling? You okay? How many fingers am I holding up?" He asked, not holding anything up.

"None," Sam answered with a roll of his eyes. "I'll be fine Dean."

"What kind of spirit?" Dean asked.

"Henriksen," I answered and he looked stunned.

"Henriksen?"

"Yep," Sam said, grimacing again as he touched a tender spot on his face.

"Why? What did he want?" Dean asked, looking like he didn't quite believe that our former FBI-agent turned demon hunter would turn into a sadistic killing spirit.

"Revenge," Sam answered. "Because we got him killed."

"Sam..." Dean said warily.

"Well we did Dean," Sam insisted.

"All right. Stop right there. Whatever the hell is going on, it's happening to us now, okay?" Dean said. "I can't get a hold of Bobby, so if you're not thinking answers, don't think at all."

"Did you get on to Jefferson?" Dean asked, looking at me. I shook my head, starting to feel worried, he frowned and started to dial his phone, waiting for the pick up.

It went to voicemail for him too. "Jefferson, it's Dean, you need to check in man."

* * *

_**Present Day  
Bobby's House**_

**Dean's POV**

It was daylight when we got to the house and Bobby didn't greet us, even though his car was there. We went into the house, shot guns loaded with rock salt and ready to go.

"Bobby?" I called out softly as we entered, there was no response. We passed into the kitchen and through to the lounge when I spotted an iron poker on the floor. I snapped my fingers at Sam and Beth to get their attention and moved carefully into the room. Nothing. Someone was going to have to check upstairs and outside.

I gestured to the stairs as Beth came up beside me. "I'll go. You guys check outside." She nodded and looked at me worriedly, and I could see the fear of splitting up sitting heavy with her, but there was a big area out in the junkyard to check.

"Be careful," I said quietly and she nodded.

"You too."

They headed for the door together, and I crept up the stairs. As I reached the top of the stairs all the doors to the bedrooms slammed shut. I looked around and the door leading up to Cole's attic bedroom started to open, even though no one was there.

I walked forward, gun at the ready. "Come out, come out, whoever you are," I said, waiting to see who was going to reveal themselves.

"Dean Winchester," a voice sounded behind me and I turned around. "Still so bossy," a young woman said with a smile. She had shoulder-length brown hair and looked dirty and scruffy. I stared at her, trying to place her. "You don't recognise me?"

I frowned, looking at her harder.

"This is what I looked like before that demon cut off my hair and dressed me like a slut," she said with a stony look. Suddenly I saw it, and I was shocked.

"Meg?"

"Hi," she said with a smile. "It's okay, I'm not a demon," she said, holding her hands up in the air as I pointed the gun at her.

"You're the girl the demon possessed," I said.

"Meg Masters. Nice to finally talk to you when I'm not, you know, choking on my own blood," she said, taking a step toward me and I held the gun to her. "It's okay. Seriously, I'm just a college girl," she said innocently, then her face turned serious. "Sorry – was. I was walking home one night and got jumped by all this smoke. Next thing you know, I'm a prisoner...in here," she said, pointing to her head. "Now, I was awake. I had to watch while she murdered people."

I swallowed, feeling a bit guilty about that. Beth had told me what it was like to go through that experience, it's why she was always an advocate for saving the person who a demon was possessing where we could. It had changed my entire perspective about her. Unfortunately she hadn't really talked about it until after the experience with Meg. We didn't even know Meg was a demon at that point. We hadn't come across demons much since Beth's possession, they were rare, not like they were now, and at the time we'd thought Meg was a witch summoning daevas.

"I'm sorry," I said, swallowing hard.

"Oh yeah? So sorry you had me thrown off a building?" She asked.

"Well, we thought..."

"No, you didn't think! I kept waiting, praying! I was trapped in there screaming at you! 'Just help me, please!' You're supposed to help people, Dean. Why didn't you help me?" Her voice almost broke with pain and I bit my lip.

"I'm sorry," I said again.

"Stop saying you're sorry!" She snapped, slapping me across the face and knocking me to the floor.

"Meg, Meg..."

She kicked me in the face, connecting with my jaw. I dropped the gun and rolled in on myself, crawling away from her.

"We didn't know!" I said rolling on to my back as she kicked the gun behind her.

"No..." she said, crouching down in front of me. "You just attacked. Did you ever think there was a girl in here? No. You just charged in, slashing and burning. You think you're some kind of hero?"

"No, I don't." And it was the truth. I was nobody.

She grabbed my jacket, pulling me toward her. I looked down and there was a brand of some sort on her hand. "You're damn right. Do you have any idea what it's like to be ridden for months by pure evil... while your family has no ideas what happened to you?"

"We did the best we could," I said, even though I knew it hadn't been enough. Meg shoved me back and stood, kicking me again.

* * *

_**Five years ago  
Millsboro, Delaware**_

**Beth's POV**

"_Here it is," I said, pulling up an obituary on the Grandfather. "Gregory Davis... killed in a hit and run, they never found the person," I said._

"_How long ago?" Dean asked, looking curiously over my shoulder._

"_Uhh, three years ago?" _

"_Yeah but why is he on a killing spree now?" He asked, sitting down next to me. _

"_I don't know," I said._

"_Well, whatever the issue is, looks like we've got a little graveyard digging to do tonight," he said with a grin, looking at me. I groaned, just what I hated to do._

"_Yay..." I said unenthusiastically._

"_Come on, it's been a while since we've had to do a good salt and burn, you'll get out of practice," he said with a chuckle. I laughed. _

"_Perish the thought that we have a life without grave desecration and vandalism," I commented, looking at him and his bright hazel eyes. What would it be like? I wondered. To live a normal life with Dean? No hunting, no evil beings, nothing except normal everyday things to worry about like going to work, and paying bills, and maybe... just maybe having a family. I glanced down at my hands, shaking my head. _

"_What?"_

"_Nothing," I said, smiling and leaning in to him. "I love you," I said, kissing him softly._

"_That's out of the blue," he said with a grin._

"_What? I'm not allowed to tell you how I feel?" I asked, inclining my head._

"_I didn't say that, I'm not complaining," he said, smiling and kissing me again. He pulled back to look at me thoughtfully, a little upturn of his mouth as his eyes softened. "In fact I like it," he said with a grin._

"_Oh really?" I asked. "Thought you weren't into that chick-flick stuff," I commented with a raised eyebrow._

"_I'm not," he said, "but we're not in a chick-flick, are we?" I shook my head, chuckling and moving to sit in his lap, draping my arms over his shoulders. _

"_Nope, we're more in the worlds longest horror story ever," I said. _

"_Exactly, so declarations of love and adoration should be frequent," Dean said, grinning. "And of course accompanied by lots of sex." I laughed, claiming his lips and drinking from him, my tongue dancing around his as I moaned softly. _

_I pulled back and looked at him expectantly. "Well?" _

"_Well what?"_

"_What about my undying declaration of love?" I said with a smirk._

"_Oh no, no no no, that's just for the girls. Only chick-flicks have guys doing that stuff, I have to be a man, protect you from the big bad creature, I don't have time to tell you how I feel," he said._

_I raised my eyebrow and shook my head. "Well, how will I know how you feel? After all, I'm not the only girl you save during the horror movie..."_

_Dean rolled his eyes and pulled me in to him, trailing kisses along my neck. "Sugarpie... if you don't know how I feel by now, I'm at a loss as to what to do," he said, looking up at me, kissing my lips softly. "It wouldn't matter how many I saved, you're still the one and only girl for me." He said quietly. I grinned, kissing him again. _

"_Now, that wasn't so hard was it?" I asked._

* * *

_**Present Day  
Bobby's Junkyard**_

**Beth's POV**

I jogged back through the cars from the gym, there was nothing there. Sam's head popped up on the other side of a row of cars and his eyes met mine as I started down another aisle. As we passed a section of cars the air suddenly grew cold and I paused, looking at Sam whose breath was foggy. He met my eyes and nodded toward the cars.

He thumped on a trunk, grabbing a nearby crowbar and using it to pry it open. I squeezed through a gap between a couple of cars to join him and raised the gun up as the trunk opened with a groan. Empty. Sam looked at me and moved on to the next car, opening the trunk, it too was empty.

"Bobby!" Sam called. "We're here Bobby!" We looked around urgently through the car. I spotted a reflection in a mirror, it was iced up which was strange in the heat of the day. I gestured to Sam and pointed, the van was piled up on a couple of more cars.

"Bobby! Hold on, Bobby! I'm coming!" Sam called out, jumping up on the bottom car and looking through the door into the van. "Bobby!" He said, using the crowbar to pry open the back doors. As soon as the doors open Sam was sent flying back by the Spirit, hitting the car below.

"Sam!" I yelled, moving toward the back of the cars. A spirit in the form of a little girl jumped out on Sam and I fired the shotgun at her: she disappeared. Bobby was in the back of the car fighting with another little girl, I turned and aimed at her, pulling the trigger and sending rock salt at her, sending her to join her sister.

Bobby climbed out of the car with a look of relief as I helped Sam up, he was bleeding from the eye and panting heavily.

"That was close," Bobby said. "Thanks."

* * *

_**Bobby's House**_

**Dean's POV**

"It wasn't just me, Dean," Meg continued, standing over me as I crawled backwards along the floor. "I had a sister. A little sister. She worshipped me. You know how little siblings are, right? Beth worships you, so does Sam. They'd do anything for you. She was never the same after I disappeared. She just...she got lost. And when my body was lying in the morgue, beat-up and broken..."

"Meg," I said, holding a hand up to her.

"Do you know what that did to her?! She killed herself!" She said, kicking me in the stomach. I doubled over, groaning, but taking it because she was right. I deserved it. "Because of you Dean! Because all you were thinking about was your family, your revenge, and your demons! Fifty words of Latin a little sooner, and I'd still be alive. My baby sister would still be alive. That blood is on your hands, Dean!"

"You're right," I answered, and she kicked me again, hard. I groaned, reaching for the gun at the small of my back, it didn't have rock salt, but I'd seen something that would do just as well. I pulled it out, pointing it at Meg.

"Come on, Dean, did your brain get french-fried in Hell? You can't shoot me with bullets," she said smugly.

"I'm not shooting you," I said, and I aimed the gun at the ceiling where there was a chandelier hanging over her. The bullets caused the ceiling to give way, the chandelier pulling from the plaster and crashing to the floor. I sighed, looking where Meg had been standing and then up at Beth as she ran up the stairs, looking at me with eyes full of worry.

"Iron," I said to her, laying back. She smirked and shook her head at me, coming to help me to my feet.

Beth looked back at the chandelier and chuckled. "Man, Cole is gonna kill you, she loved that chandelier," Beth said, grinning at me.

"Greeeat," I said, a little bit of a stabbing fear going through me. The midget could be scary when she was mad.

"You okay?" Beth asked, running her hand along my chest as if checking for broken bones.

"Yeah, did you find Bobby?" I asked. She nodded, and slipped an arm around my beaten body, helping me limp a little to the stairs. I'd be all right in a minute or two, but one thing was for sure, new body or not, my age seemed to be catching up with me, I couldn't take a beating as well as I used to anymore.

* * *

_**Five years ago  
Millsboro, Delaware**_

**Beth's POV**

_We'd just finished digging up the bones of Grandpa Davis and burning them when Dean's phone started ringing. He looked confused at it and then answered._

"_Yeah?" He said and then he nodded as someone spoke on the other end. "Yeah, this is Detective Ford," he answered. He gestured to me and then started hurrying toward the car. "Yeah, we'll be right there!"_

"_What is it?"  
_

"_That was Vanessa, she said there's something in the house, she's terrified," Dean said, jumping in the front seat and starting up the car as I climbed in next to him._

"_But we just took care of the ghost," I pointed out and Dean nodded, looking at me soberly. _

"_Apparently Grandpa might not be the problem," he said. _

_We arrived within ten minutes to the Davis house and exited the car. The lights were flickering on and off upstairs as we ran to the house, knocking on the door and letting ourselves in._

"_Vanessa?!" Dean called out and she came running out of the living room._

"_I don't know what's going on!" She said, running out of the living room to meet us with a panicked look. "The lights...they just..."_

"Where is Emily?" I asked, looking around for the little girl.

"_Upstairs in her room," Vanessa said, pointing toward the door where I'd gotten the concentrated EMF reading from earlier in the afternoon._

_I spotted a set of iron fireplace tools, and grabbed the poker, moving up the stairs. Dean followed, holding another iron tool that was used to turn logs over, it was just as deadly to a ghost. I hurried up the stairs to the room and opened the door. _

_Emily screamed when I burst into the room, and I looked at her, suddenly a white skinned child with long claws and evil smile appeared behind Emily. I moved, swinging the poker as Emily screamed again and ran away. The spirit disappeared as I connected with the etheric form. _

_Dean looked at me, breathing hard and I turned in horror. "Angiak!" I said and he nodded, running down the hall to the stairs again. I grabbed Emily's hand and pulled her with me down the stairs, following Dean._

* * *

_**Bobby's Library**_

**Beth's POV**

"So, they're all people we know?" Sam asked as I cleaned up a cut on Dean's face. He waved me off for fussing and I shook my head, moving to sit down on the couch.

"Not just know. People we couldn't save," Dean said, sitting down on the couch next to me and starting to load his gun with salt rounds. "Hey, I saw something on Meg. Did she have a tattoo when she was alive?"

"I don't think so," I said, shrugging.

"It was like a … a mark on her hand – almost like a brand," Dean said.

"I saw a mark, too, on Henriksen," Sam said, nodding.

"What did it look like?" Bobby asked

"Uh, paper?" Sam asked, and he took the paper offered to him and started sketching the mark, holding it up to Dean, who nodded.

"That's it," he confirmed, handing it to Bobby.

"I may have seen this before..." Bobby said.

"It's the mark of the witnesses," a voice sounded from the other side of the room. I looked up to see Jefferson leaning heavily against the doorway and I jumped, going to him.

"Jefferson! Are you all right?" I asked, looking him over. He was covered in small cuts and bruises, and looked like he'd tangled with a rose bush. He nodded, smiling weakly.

"I'll live," he said, and then held up his phone. "I got your messages. Consider this your check-in." I shook my head, rolling my eyes at him.

"You oaf, you could have just called," I joked. He chuckled and nodded.

"Next time." He looked over at Bobby and they exchanged a knowing look. "We need to move," he said. Bobby nodded, grabbing a couple of books off a shelf nearby and heading for the kitchen.

"Follow me," he said.

"Where are we going?" Sam asked, always one to question.

"Some place safe, ya idjit," he answered, grabbing the books to him and leading us away. We followed him down into the basement and he opened a big iron door to another room. I stared in awe, we'd never been down here even as teens. The room looked like it was made from iron, it was like a bunker.

As we stepped in I looked up, there was an exhaust fan over head circulating air from the outside, and it was crossed with a giant iron devil's trap. The lights came on and we looked around, there were more devil's traps painted on the floor, and the walls were lined with weapons of all descriptions from guns to axes. Huge bottles of holy water lined the top shelves and there was a cot in one corner, a table and other assorted conveniences like a radio nearby.

Bobby closed the door behind us, sealing it with the handle and it groaned ominously as the locks tumbled into place.

I shuddered, suddenly feeling a little claustrophobic. I touched one of the walls, it looked like iron with rivets holding it together, there was a fine coating of salt over it too. "Bobby, is this...?"

"Solid iron. Completely coated in salt. One hundred percent ghost-proof," Bobby said with a nod.

Jefferson chuckled and followed him. "You built a panic room?" He asked.

Bobby turned to look at us all and raised his eyebrow. "I had a weekend off," he said, shrugging.

"Bobby." Dean said, picking up a gun and turning to the man.

"What?"

"You're awesome!" He said, turning to see a poster of Bo Derek wearing a swimsuit on the wall. "Oh!" He said with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head and Bobby looked a little chagrined, moving to take it down. I laughed, boys, they would always be boys.

A short while later we were sitting at the desks making salt rounds for the shotguns. Dean paused, looking up at me.

"See, this is why I can't get behind God," he said randomly and I frowned.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"If he doesn't exist, fine. Bad crap happens to good people. That's how it is. There's no rhyme or reason – just random, horrible, evil – I get it okay. I can roll with that," he said, and I nodded. "But if he is out there, what's wrong with him? Where the hell is he while all these decent people are getting torn to shreds? How does he live with himself? You know, why doesn't he help?" I stared up at him and then glanced at Jefferson, who was leaning on another table talking to Bobby. I raised an eyebrow at him, he was the minister after all.

"Oh I'm not touching this one with a ten foot pole Princess," he said with a smirk.

"Yeah," Bobby agreed, nodding. I shrugged at Dean, having no answer.

"I don't know Dean," I said softly and he sighed, reaching out to run his hand along my cheek.

"Found it," Bobby said, suddenly, looking at Jefferson. "You were right."

"Right about what?" I asked.

"The symbol the boys saw... the brand on the ghosts," Bobby said.

"Yeah?" Sam asked, standing up and walking toward him.

"It's the mark of the witness," Jefferson said, moving to sit on the cot with a groan.

"You said that, but witness? Witness to what?" Sam asked.

"The unnatural," Bobby said. "None of them died what you'd call ordinary deaths. See, these ghosts – they were forced to rise. They woke up in agony. They were like rabid dogs. It ain't their fault. Someone rose them... on purpose," he said.

"Who?" I asked.

"Do I look like I know?" Bobby asked. "But whoever it was used a spell so powerful it left a mark, a brand on their souls. Whoever did this had big plans. It's called 'the rising of the witnesses'."

"Yes, it figures into an ancient prophecy," Jefferson said, looking at me. I frowned, what the hell were they talking about?

"Wait... wait. What book is that prophecy from?" I asked, trying to see what he was reading. Now that he was talking about it, I was sure I'd heard this term before.

"You know it," Jefferson said, looking at me. Again I frowned, thinking about where I'd come across that term. Dean stood up and wandered toward Bobby as well, crossing his arms, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"The widely distributed version's just for tourists, you know," Bobby said. "But long story short..."

"Revelations," I said as the realisation hit me, feeling a sinking horror take root in my gut.

Bobby nodded. "This is a sign," he said.

"A sign of what?" Dean and Sam asked in unison.

I swallowed, looking from Bobby to Jefferson. "The apocalypse," I said softly and Dean's eyes opened wide.

* * *

_**Five years ago  
Millsboro, Delaware**_

**Beth's POV**

_When we reached the living room Vanessa was looking freaked out._

_"Vanessa, did __Emily have a sister?" I asked, looking at the girl urgently._

"_What? Why would you ask that?!" Vanessa questioned. _

"_Just answer the question!" Dean snapped._

"_Yes... older sister, she … she drowned before Emily was born," Vanessa said._

"_Drowned?" I asked, it didn't fit the profile. Angiaks were children who were abandoned in the wild. "Are you sure?"_

"_Her father too her camping, it was an accident!" Vanessa insisted._

_I glanced at Dean and groaned. "Oh tell me he didn't..."_

"_I'm thinking so," he said, turning to Vanessa."Where is she buried?" _

"_She wasn't, she was cremated," Vanessa said. "What has this got to do with anything?!"_

_Suddenly the angiak appeared behind her. Dean yelled, trying to reach the creature before it could attack but he was too slow. The claws of the creature pierced clear through the body of Mrs Davis and she spluttered in shocked silence before falling to the ground._

_Emily screamed as Dean swung his iron bar at the creature, it disappeared again._

"_It's not going to stop until..." I looked at Emily, my statement trailing off and Dean nodded, starting to go through trinkets in the room. "There has to be something," he said, opening a cupboard to reveal a silver set of baby items. One of them was a container for baby's first lock of hair. I moved, going through another cupboard in the kitchen, finding the salt and starting to draw a line. I ran out, and moved for the bag we'd carried in to get more._

"_It's not here!" Dean said, finding the container to be empty. _

"_Well there has to be something holding her here!" I said, and I turned, looking in horror to see the spirit back, and advancing on Emily. _

"_Dean!" I said, calling out and he lunged for the spirit with his iron poker. _

_I looked at Vanessa and something caught my eye, a silver locket around her neck, now covered in blood. I ran for the locket and pulled a lighter out of my pocket just as the Spirit lashed out at Emily, and there was a spray of blood that flew across the wall to the girl's screams. _

_Dean swung the bar, but he was too late, the little girl was dead before she even hit the ground. I gasped, and opened the locket, there was a piece of hair in there. Taking the lighter, I flicked it open and held the hair over it, watching as it sizzled and burned away with the sickening stench that always accompanied burning hair._

_I stumbled to my feet, hands covered in blood as Dean grabbed my arm, dragging me to the door._

_"Emily..." I said, shaking my head._

"_She's dead, Beth, we need to go, now!" He said, pulling me with him. I felt hollow and weak as he shoved me into the passenger seat of the car, tossing our bag on the back seat and getting behind the wheel._

* * *

_**Present Day**_

_**Bobby's House (Panic Room)**_

**Beth's POV**

"Apocalypse? _The apocalypse, apocalypse_? The four horsemen, pestilence, $5-a-gallon-gas apocalypse?" Dean asked.

"That's the one. The rise of the witnesses is a... a mile marker," Jefferson said with a grimace, stretching out his leg and for the first time I noticed that he had injured it.

"Okay, so, what do we do now?" Sam asked.

"Road trip," Dean said quickly, nodding at me. "Grand Canyon, Star Trek Experience... expensive penthouse suite overlooking Vegas where we never leave the bedroom," he added as he sat down next to me again with a weak smile. I smiled and shook my head leaning in to kiss him quickly.

"First things first. How about we survive our friends out there?" Bobby said.

"Great. Any ideas aside from staying in this room until Judgement Day?" Dean asked.

Bobby nodded and tapped his pen on the book a couple of times, leaning back over it to read.

"It's a spell...to send the witnesses back to rest. Should work," he said.

"Should. Huh. Great," Sam replied with a shake of his head.

"If I translate it correctly," Bobby added. "I think I got everything I need here at the house," he said, looking over at us.

"Any chance you have everything you need in this room?" I asked hopefully.

Bobby snickered. "So, you thought our luck was gonna start now all of a sudden?" He said, I smirked and shook my had. "Spell's got to be cast over an open fire."

"The fireplace in the library," Sam said.

"Bingo."

"That's just not as appealing as a... uh... ghost-proof panic room, you know?" Dean said with a chuckle.

In a short amount of time we were ready to leave the panic room and find our way up to the main part of the house. We were loaded with shotguns and salt shells, although there wasn't as much as we wanted of those to go around as Bobby was quick to point out.

"Cover each other. And aim careful. Don't run out of ammo until I'm done, or they'll shred you. Ready?"

I swallowed and looked at the others, my stomach twisting into a thousand knots of nerves. Jefferson limped up beside me, sighing and nodding.

"You're hurt," I said.

"I'll live," he replied.

"You should stay here," I countered but he shook his head.

"I won't be doing any running around, but I can watch Bobby's back at least," he said. Bobby nodded and pulled open the door, sitting on the stairs waiting for us was a familiar face.

"Hey, Dean. You remember me?" Ronald asked. I thought back to that time in the bank with the shapeshifter when he'd held it up, sending us into a siege situation with the FBI. It had been the start of a whole lot of treacherous times for us, we'd had to lay low, real low, in order to get the FBI off our backs, and then I'd lost the baby... somehow it all seemed connected in a strange way, even though they weren't.

"Ronald, huh?" Dean asked. "With the laser eyes? I wish I could say it's good to see you."

"I am dead because of you." He said, standing up. "Because of all of you. You were supposed to help me!" Ronald yelled.

Bobby shot Ronald and he disappeared, Dean looked surprised.

"If you're gonna shoot, shoot. Don't talk," he said, starting to lead the way up the stairs. I carried a bag of salt in one hand, the shotgun in the other. While Bobby and Jefferson set up with the book and translation I started to pour a salt circle around them, Dean knelt down in front of the fireplace and started to light the fire.

Bobby looked at Sam. "Upstairs, linen closet – red hex box. It'll be heavy."

"Got it," Sam said with a nod.

Something shimmered before me and I looked up into the face of Emily. "Beth," she said. "You killed me Beth," she said and I gasped.

Dean turned, pointing his shotgun at her and fired, looking at me. "Don't," he said. "Don't even go there."

Bobby looked at Dean. "Kitchen. Cutlery drawer. It's got a false bottom. Hemlock, opium, wormwood."

"Opium?" Dean asked.

"Go!" Bobby snapped and Dean ran out the door.

A pair of girls appeared next to Bobby. "Bobby. You walked right by us while that monster ate us all up," one said.

"You could have saved us," the other said.

Jefferson aimed and shot at the girls. "Oh shut up!" He snapped.

"I'm gonna check on Dean," I said.

"I'll do it, he's closer, you go get Sam," Jefferson said and I nodded, heading for the stairs.

When I reached the upstairs landing I could hear someone talking.

"You know what really pisses me off Sam?" She asked, and I recognised the woman as Meg, how Dean had described her earlier. Sam turned and fired at her, but she simply rematerialized next to him.

"You saw how I suffered for months. I thought you must have learned something. I thought I died for something."

"Meg," Sam said. I raised my gun and pointed it at her, but her next words stayed my hand.

"But what you're doing with that demon, Ruby… how many innocent bodies has Ruby burned through for kicks? How many girls just like me? And you don't send her back to Hell? You're a monster!" She screamed at him.

I fired at her, and looked at Sam as she disappeared. Sam swallowed, looking over at me.

"Oh we seriously have to talk when this is over, let's go," I said, starting back toward the stairs.

* * *

_**5 Years Ago  
Impala**_

**Beth's POV**

_I stared at the blood on my hands, shaking. "That poor girl... oh my God!" I said._

"_Beth, we did our best," Dean said._

"_Yeah but we failed!" _

"_Don't think about it," he said, shaking his head. "We have to get out of this state, as far away as we possibly can," he pushed down on the accelerator as the car lurched forward and he pulled us onto the road out of town. _

"_We failed, we got that little girl killed," I said again, rocking._

"_Beth, you have to focus. It happens, we did our best," Dean said, looking at me worried. "We did our best."_

"_It wasn't good enough," I said softly, closing my eyes and leaning back in my seat. "It wasn't good enough."_

_I thought about the creature and shook my head."An angiak... they're so rare... we..."_

"_We couldn't have known," Dean said, casting a glance at me and sighing. "We had no way of knowing."_

"_How can people do that to their own children?" I asked, shaking my head. Angiaks were the spirits of children left in the wild and exposed originating during hard centuries where tribes couldn't feed everyone, especially the weak children. The children would die, and come back hungry, angry... and take it out on the whole tribe._

_As time had passed, the tribe became the family who had left the child to die. They were rare because people just didn't do this kind of evil thing anymore. Except this father, he'd obviously drowned his child, or left her to drown, to die exposed in the wild._

"_If we could have just got at the thing faster..." Dean said, already problem solving for the next hunt._

"_With iron?" I asked, looking curious._

"_Well throwing salt isn't the best idea," he said with a chuckle. I paused, thinking about it._

"_No, but who said we had to throw it?" I asked, turning to him and picking up the shotgun that was lying between us on the seat. I opened the gun and popped out a shell, holding it up. "What if we could shoot it?" I said, raising an eyebrow. Dean stopped to nod, a smile twitching at his mouth._

"_Did I mention you're a genius?" He asked._

* * *

**Dean's POV**

I started going through the kitchen drawer, grabbing the items Bobby needed when the doors slammed shut between the library and kitchen.

"Dean?!" I heard Jefferson call out as he banged on the door.

"I'm all right, cover Bobby!" I yelled back as I searched through the drawer for the opium.

Henriksen appeared next to me and I glanced at him. "Victor."

"Dean."

"I know," I said, trying to head off the inevitable discussion. It was pretty clear where he was going to be going with the whole _you're to blame for my death _discussion.

"No. You don't," he countered and I frowned.

"It's my fault you're dead. I left you behind. And the minute I heard about that explosion, I thought 'I should have known'. I should have protected you," I confessed to him, and he looked at me while I reached for the gun I'd laid on the counter. Henriksen waved his hand and the gun went flying across the room.

"Unh-unh. Not so fast," he said. "You think you left and Lilith came and we all died in a beautiful blast of … white light? If only. Forty-five minutes," he added and I stared at him.

"What?"

"Over forty-five minutes. Lilith said she wanted to have some fun. The secretary, remember her? Nancy, the virgin. Lilith filleted Nancy's skin off piece by piece. Right in front of us, made us watch. Nancy never stopped screaming."

I felt myself pale, I knew exactly what that felt like and it was beyond description, you wanted to die as soon as it started, you were begging for death before they were even half done and a snivelling shell of a person by the end.

"No…" I said, I didn't want to believe it.

"I was the last," Henriksen said.

"Victor…"

Henriksen reached inside my chest and gripped my heart. I gasped from the pain, this was nothing new to me either, but I hadn't been a soul inside a human body when it had been done to me in Hell. I stumbled, unable to move as my heart constricted, and I struggled to free myself.

"Tell me how it's fair," Henriksen said. "You get saved from Hell – I die. Why do you deserve another chance, Dean?"

Jefferson was banging on the door, trying to get access, and Sam and Beth rushed in from the other entry to the kitchen. Sam raised his gun and shot Henriksen as Beth rushed toward me, catching me with her arm under her shoulder before I dropped to the floor, weakened.

"Are you all right?" She asked, looking at me.

"No," I said, shaking my head and clinging to her. I'd never been so happy to see her in my life.

"Come on," she said as Jefferson got the doors open and we all headed for the library. Sam covered us from behind while Jefferson limped toward the salt circle.

I was reloading my gun when Vanessa appeared, looking at me and then Beth. "You killed us, you could have saved us if you'd just gotten to that locket sooner," she said.

Jefferson shot her and shook his head at us.

Ronald popped up; the spirits were coming fast and thick now. "Ronald. Hey, come on, man. I thought we were pals," I said, trying to reason with the guy.

"That's when I was breathing. Now I'm gonna eat you alive," he said with an evil grin.

"Well… come on, I'm not a cheeseburger," I said, cocking the gun and pointing it at Ronald, however he vanished before I could pull the trigger.

Bobby started to recite the ritual, his Latin flowing easily and fast. The windows flew open and wind started to blow through the room, blowing the salt away. Almost instantly we were set upon by the spirits. Vanessa and Emily, Meg, the girls, Henriksen. We circled around Bobby, facing out as we took our shots where we could and he continued to recite the spell.

Henriksen knocked Dean's gun from his hands as he was reloading, he spun to find an extra gun on the desk, Bobby's, turning to shoot. The click of an empty gun sounded and I spun to shoot Henriksen instead as Dean picked up an iron poker, hitting at Emily. Meg appeared and sent Sam flying against the wall, pinned in place by a desk.

"Sam!" Jefferson called out, spinning to hit Meg, but the desk didn't actually move.

"Cover Bobby!" Sam said.

Bobby continued to recite the spell as we shot at the girls approaching Sam while trying to cover Bobby at the same time. Suddenly Bobby finished but he turned to find a new spirit in front of him who reached out and plunged a hand into his chest. Bobby stumbled.

I was stunned, recognising instantly who the woman was in front of us, she hadn't aged a day. "Mom?" I whispered. Jefferson looked over and took aim but his gun clicked empty as Bobby fell to a kneeling position, dropping the bowl the with ingredients.

"Jefferson!" Bobby called and Jefferson spun, closest to him and caught the bowl. "Fireplace!"

I watched as my mother launched herself at Jefferson while he struggled to move on his injured leg. She slashed at him with claw like hands, and I screamed as a spray of blood went across the room and Jefferson fell to the floor, a stunned look in his face. He had just enough presence of mind to toss the contents of the bowl in the fire before falling on his front to the floor. The fire flared blue and the spirits all suddenly disappeared.

"Jefferson?!" Dean asked, rushing to the man as I dropped my gun, running to the medicine cabinet and grabbing supplies. Sam pushed away the desk, freeing himself and helped Bobby to his feet. He nodded, indicating he was okay.

I grabbed gauze and bandages, and clean hand towels out of the cupboard, running back to where Jefferson was lying on the floor, gasping for breath.

"Oh god, oh god," I said, applying pressure to the wounds that were across his chest. Sam was on the phone calling an ambulance and Dean held Jefferson up a little as I wound bandages around his torso to hold the compress in place. "Don't die on us," I said and Jefferson laughed, blood spitting out of his mouth. "You've got some explaining to do about what I just saw," I said with a frown.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," he chuckled and then had another coughing fit.

I held his hand, this man who had been our friend for over a decade, always checking in on us, watching out for us, and there seemed there was more to that story now. I frowned, wondering how it was that my mother had ended up a spirit called to rise and attack us.

* * *

_**Later that night  
**_

**Beth's POV**

Sam had gone up to bed when we got back from the hospital; Jefferson was stable but was still sleeping off the anaesthesia when we left. I had wanted to stay but Bobby had insisted I go back with Dean who looked like he was struggling a little with an internal demon. When he fell asleep on the couch, completely exhausted, I moved to grab my candle and go out to the little garden where Sam had built a memorial to my son.

I lit the candle and watched it flicker as it sat on a stone pillar I'd purchased for prayer candles. Sitting on the bench I pulled my knees up to my chest, hugging them to me and closed my eyes.

"Castiel," I whispered softly. "Are you listening?"

"Yes," a voice said suddenly and I jumped, not expecting the man to appear right next to me right then and there.

"Geez, you scared the daylights out of me," I said, standing up to face him, staring in awe at his face.

"Sorry," he said, looking at me. "What are you looking at?"

"My uncle…" I said, reaching out a hand to touch his face and then pulling it back, feeling a little awkward. "Is he… awake? Does he see?" I shuddered, remembering the demon that had ridden me for hours, and how horrifying it had been, unable to move.

"No, he is asleep for most of it," Castiel replied and I nodded. "But, that is not why you called."

"No," I said, trying to form my words. "What you said about my family, what did you mean?" I had been puzzling over it ever since he'd said it, and at the moment he seemed to be the only one with any answers.

Castiel looked quizzically at me. "Both your father and mother's families have long lines back to religious practice. But your mother's, it has a special connection to the angels."

"How?"

"She is descended from a long line temple priests and priestesses loyal to our Lord," he replied. "They were initiated into the mysteries and teachings, and bore the responsibility of communicating with him through many of the angels. They also agreed to be vessels for us when we are sent to do God's work on Earth."

I thought this over and nodded. "Okay, so why didn't I know about you? Why haven't I heard you like my mother did?"

Castiel frowned and looked at me curiously. "I thought you were ignoring us." I laughed and shook my head.

"Do you know how hard I pray for your guidance? Why would I ignore you?" I asked.

He frowned and looked at me harder, reaching out his hands and placing them next to my head. "You could hear us as a child," he said, and I looked at him, stunned. I didn't remember any of that.

"Something has happened," he said. I felt my knees go weak a little as a flash of light passed through my head, and I closed my eyes even though it wasn't outside of my me. My head started to thump behind my eyes and I groaned a little, raising my hand to my forehead.

"When I was in New Orleans, a woman, she said to ask you about the energy bolt I was hit with," I said, opening my eyes to look into his piercing blue gaze. It was a little intense, he didn't even blink when he looked at you. I shook my head.

"Blink," I said and he looked at me confused.

"Excuse me?"

"If you're going to try and pass yourself off as human, you need to blink once in a while," I said and he raised his eyebrow, blinking.

"I see, thank you."

I nodded, he was a curious thing and I couldn't believe I was standing in front of an honest-to-God angel having a conversation where I was telling him to blink occasionally.

"Yes, the energy bolt opened you up to the world beyond this one," he said. "It amplified your abilities to feel us," he said.

"To feel demons," I clarified.

"Unfortunately that seems to be a side effect of your possession," he said.

I groaned again, the closer I got to him the more my head seemed to pound. "Are you causing this?" I asked, gesturing to my head.

"Hmmm, possibly," he said, tilting his head. "Imagine you have an ability inside of you, part of your DNA, and it is a connection to Heaven. You have the ability to connect with me and speak with me as you would a phone call"

"Through prayer?"

"Prayer is the easiest way. Also through your dreams, and other methods. The energy bolt has opened up your line to feel demons too because of the stain that demon left on you when it possessed you. It forced its way inside of you, which is not easy for demons to do with angelic vessels, they have to be very strong."

I thought about that, it seemed like the demon that had possessed me knew exactly what it had been doing, it had been on a mission, not just a random possession.

"Can you make it stop?" I asked, how much of a relief would that be? I found myself excited by the prospect.

"No," he said. "You are a vessel, it will never be off ," Castiel said.

"Then fix it, surely I'm not supposed to be sick every time I cross paths with a demon!" I snapped, crossing my arms.

My display of temper didn't seem to affect the angel in any way whatsoever; he tilted his head and examined me, looking almost right through me, as if he was looking into my very soul.

"No, you're correct," and without any explanation or warning he reached out and placed two fingers to my forehead. I felt a rush of energy wash through me and was overcome with a feeling of weakness. My legs gave way under me and I heard Dean shout as I fell to my knees, the dizziness I'd had when I first started having these feelings was now tenfold, the sickness in my stomach had returned and I felt like I might vomit at any moment.

"Ahhhh!" I groaned, grabbing my head as hundreads of voices seemed to teem through it in a jumbled mess of words and images. "God!"

"What have you done to her?!" Dean voice came through the haze and I felt him grab me around the shoulders and turn me to him. The last thing I saw was his hazel eyes peering at me full of worry before my surroundings faded.

I looked up and found myself in a garden full of trees and flowerbeds, the sun shining overhead, birds singing and flying around.

_'Where am I?' _I thought to myself, spinning in a circle.

"Nowhere," Castiel replied and I found him standing in front of me. "We're inside your mind."

"My mind?" I asked, confused.

"This is one of your memories, a time your parents took you to the botanical gardens," Castiel explained, and now that I thought about it, it looked familiar.

"What is going on?" I asked, turning shrewd eyes to Castiel.

"I have fixed your connection to me, but you are now hearing all the voices of our line," he said, as if I was supposed to understand a word he had just said.

"Wait, I thought I was a vessel for you?" I said, crossing my arms.

"You are, but there are others of the same angelic line who are connected to you," he said.

"How many?" I asked.

"There are twelve multiplied by twelve lines," he answered.

"No I meant... wait... there are one hundred and forty-four lines?" I asked, doing the math quickly in my head. He nodded silently at me.

"And how many angels are there within these lines?" I asked.

"One thousand," he replied.

"One … thousand... right. There are 144,000 angels in Heaven?" I asked, rubbing my forehead with my hand.

"At least, I'm not counting the first among our kind, and the ones I do not know of," he answered. "Is this a problem?"

"Only that I just had _a thousand _voices and thoughts running through my head, and I must be... I don't know, having some kind of breakdown if we're locked inside my head. No, no problem, why on Earth would you say that?" I said, rolling my eyes.

Apparently angels didn't appreciate sarcasm: Castiel just looked at me with an infuriatingly calm expression on his face, made all the more stranger that it was coming from my uncle.

"I can't function on a daily basis if I have to filter through all this noise," I said pointedly, hoping the direct route might achieve a better answer.

"I see," Castiel said, looking thoughtful. "Well you only need think of me, and the others will fade," he said.

"So it's like tuning a radio," I said thoughtfully, starting to pace in front of him.

"I am not familiar with this item," he said, and I sighed.

"Nevermind, I get it, I think. But does that mean I'm always going to hear your thoughts?" I asked.

"No, I can shut it out if you wish. I can teach you to control it over time so that you can turn it on and off at will," he said. I nodded, that sounded good. Anything sounded better than what I'd just heard.

"Please, that would be good," I said, stepping toward him.

His blue eyes stared piercingly at me, and then nodded. "Focus on my voice, and only mine," he said as the white noise returned, and once more I was back in my body, grasping at my head, Dean was holding me to him and on the phone with his free hand talking to the 911 operator.

I reached out and grabbed his shoulder, groaning. The voices started to fade as I honed in on the one voice I was listening for, Castiel. Dean froze when I moved, and he picked me up and moved to sit down on the bench, settling me in his lap.

"I'm okay," I whispered, my eyes still closed as I worked on fine-tuning this new ability. Dean stopped talking into the phone and then I heard him apologise to the operator and hang up.

Finally the noise receded and it was just me in my head, and Castiel, who was mercifully quiet for the most part. I caught minor glimpses of things he was thinking about, and one memory stood out in particular.

I stared at him, my mouth dropping open.

"You were there…" I said incoherently, Dean looked at me.

"What? Who was where?" He asked.

"When she died on the operating table, yes, I was." Castiel replied. I remembered it now; he'd been in a nurse's body, a young woman who had told me I wouldn't remember the events, but that everything was going to work out.

"You said you were always with me…" I said, eyes widening as memories triggered by that statement started to flood my mind.

All these of all the times I had seen Castiel and not realised it. The day I was born where he was inhabiting a nurse, the time I nearly rode my bike into oncoming traffic and a stranger stepped off the street to stop me, the substitute teacher who had waited with me until Dad had come to collect me after school one day… and more, now I had other memories coming back. I gasped, looking up at Dean.

"Oh wow…" I said, looking up at Dean.

"What?" He asked, frowning.

I looked up at Castiel and gaped. "That was real?" I asked. He looked at me and nodded, eyes penetrating me with their stare.

"Was what real?" Dean asked, looking completely confused, not following the conversation at all.

I didn't answer; I simply rolled Dean's t-shirt up on his left bicep to reveal the scar there. I placed my hand over it again, like I had already done a dozen or more times, but this time I looked harder. It fit, perfectly. It was my hand print burned into his flesh.

I looked up at Castiel. "You used me as the vessel to pull Dean out of Hell?" I asked.

"You did consent," Castiel said.

"I thought it was a dream!" I said. Dean was looking from me to Castiel.

"That was the only place I could talk to you," Castiel replied.

Dean shifted in frustration, placing me on the bench and getting up to pace.

"Are you serious?" He asked, and Castiel nodded.

"She was my only choice," he said. "I needed a physical body that could pass into the realm of Hell, angelic forms cannot do that."

"Look, I don't care who you think you are, but you had _no right _to put her in danger like that. What if you hadn't succeeded? The whole reason I was down there was to keep her _out of Hell_!" He said angrily. Castiel didn't react at all; it was as if we were talking to a brick wall.

"She prayed for it, it was the best way to free you," Castiel pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," I said, standing up and grabbing Dean's arm. "It doesn't matter, you're here, and that's all that counts. If that was the only way, then it's done, and I won't take that back."

He paused and sighed, nodding.

"You should be grateful Dean, without Beth's connection to you, we may not have gotten to you," Castiel said and Dean scowled.

"Yeah, well, I still don't agree," Dean said, shaking his head and standing in front of Castiel. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Beth called me," Castiel said and Dean turned to stare incredulously at me. "Excellent job with the witnesses," he added and Dean spun around.

"You were hip to all this?" He asked.

"I was, uh, made aware," he said, looking at Dean.

"Well, thanks a lot for the angelic assistance. You know, I almost got my heart ripped out of my chest," Dean said.

"But you didn't," Castiel said.

"I thought angels were supposed to be guardians. Fluffy wings, halos – you know, Michael Landon. Not dicks."

"Read the Bible," Castiel said patiently. "Angels are warriors of God. I'm a soldier."

"Yeah? Then why didn't you fight?"

"I'm not here to perch on your shoulder. We had larger concerns," he said.

"Concerns? There were people getting torn to shreds down here! What about Jefferson? He's not out of the woods," Dean countered. "And, by the way, while all this is going on, where the Hell is your boss, huh, if there is a God?"

"There's a God," Castiel said. I bit my lip, watching them, not sure I wanted to get in the middle of this argument.

"I'm not convinced," Dean said. "'Cause if there's a God, what the Hell is he waiting for, huh? Genocide? Monsters roaming the Earth? The freaking apocalypse? At what point does he lift a damn finger and help the poor bastards that are stuck down here?" Dean was in fine form, his eyes flashing angry at the angel as Castiel stood there and watched him.

"The Lord works in…"

"If you say 'mysterious ways', so help me, I will kick your ass," Dean growled. I stood up and put my hand on Dean's arm, throwing him a warning glance. He took a breath and looked at me, concerned.

"So, Jefferson and Bobby were right… about the witnesses," I said, bringing it back to today's events. "This is some kind of a … sign of the apocalypse?"

Castiel nodded. "That's why we're here. Big things afoot," he answered.

"Do we want to know what kind of things?" I asked.

"I sincerely doubt it," Castiel answered. "But you need to know. The rising of the witnesses is one of the 66 seals."

"Okay. I'm guessing that's not a show at Seaworld," Dean said.

"Those seals are being broken by Lilith," Castiel replied.

"She did the spell. She rose the witnesses," I said, frowning. Why wasn't I surprised?

"Mmhmm. And not just here. Twenty other hunters are dead," Castiel answered.

"Of course. She picked victims that the hunters couldn't save so that they would barrel right after us," Dean said.

"Lilith has a certain sense of humour," Castiel replied.

"Well, we put those spirits back to rest," Dean said.

"It doesn't matter. The seal was broken," Castiel said.

"Why break the seal anyway?" Dean asked.

"Think of the seals as locks on a door," Castiel said.

"Okay, last one opens and…?"

"Lucifer walks free," Castiel said.

I swallowed looking at him hard. Lucifer. The prince of the angels cast down to Hell for defying God. He was epitome of evil.

"Lucifer?" Dean asked. "But I thought Lucifer was just a story told at demon Sunday school. There's no such thing."

"Three days ago, you thought there was no such thing as me. Why do you think we're here, walking among you now for the first time in two thousand years?" Castiel said.

"To stop Lucifer," I said softly, biting my lip.

"That's why we've arrived," Castiel said with a nod.

"Well… bang-up job so far. Stellar work with the witnesses. That's nice." Dean said sarcastically.

"We tried. And there are other battles, other seals. Some we'll win, some we'll lose. This one we lost. Our numbers are not unlimited," he said, looking at me. I frowned, 144,000… no, it didn't seem so big in comparison to some things. "Six of my brothers died in the field this week," Castiel said. "You think the armies of Heaven should just follow you around? There's a bigger picture here. You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of Hell, I can throw you back in."

He vanished before I could even say anything to that and I hit Dean on the arm, scowling.

"Jesus Dean!"

"What?"

"If you think I would cope with you going back to Hell, think again. Don't go pissing off the damn angel!" I said, rubbing a hand across my weary eyes.

"Sorry," he said a little sheepishly. He reached out and pulled me into his arms and I sighed, leaning into his embrace and holding him tightly.

"What did he do to you?" Dean asked after a moment, lifting my chin to look at him.

"He fixed me," I said with a shrug.

"Fixed you?"

"Yeah, no more demon sense… just… angel talkback radio twenty-four seven," I answered.

"Oh that sounds better," he scoffed, shaking his head and starting to walk back toward the house with his arm around my waist.

"It's not too bad right now, and he said I can learn to control it," I focused, there was a soft murmur in the back of my mind, like someone talking behind closed doors, but it faded if I tried to block it out, paying more attention to the sound of Dean's voice, the environment around me. "It's better than the sickness that comes with the demons."

"Well… we'll see," Dean said as he took my hand and pulled me up the steps into the house. Sam was walking around in the kitchen when we entered and he looked at us curiously.

"Where you guys been?" He asked. "Are you all right?"

"So… you got no problem believing in … God and Angels?" Dean asked him. Sam paused and shook his head.

"No, not really," he said.

"So I guess that means that you believe in the Devil?" Dean questioned.

"Why are you asking me this?" Sam asked with a confused look.

I looked at Sam, suddenly recalling what Meg had said in the heat of battle. I narrowed my eyes at him. Not now, but soon, he had some questions to answer. Maybe Meg had been referring to before Sam had sent Ruby packing. But my gut told me there was more to it; I was going to be keeping a closer eye on my little brother for a while.

Sam looked curiously at us and shrugged. "Well?" He asked.

"Why don't you fill him in sugarpie?" Dean asked, heading for the kitchen. "I need a beer!"

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

* * *

Song for this chapter is: _Ghosts _by Sons & Lovers - an absolutely haunting and amazing song. Look it up on youtube!

* * *

Jefferson gets to tell his story soon about what happened while he wasn't answering his phone!

* * *

Hope you enjoyed the chapter :) Please leave me a review!


	7. In The Beginning

_Another memory and I'm asking myself  
Why can't I let the past be the past  
Once and for all take a hold of the future  
And not let it control what I aspire to have_

_I see where my decisions have brought me  
What's done is done and it's time to start again  
Can't let it tear me in two or waste me away  
I gotta believe_

_'Cause this is now  
How can I change tomorrow if I can't change today  
This is now  
If I control myself I control my destiny_

* * *

**IN THE BEGINNING**

* * *

_**1 week ago  
The Four Corners  
Arizona, Utah, Colorado & New Mexico**_

**Beth's POV**

Night had fallen in the four corners region and there was an eerie feeling running along my spine as Dean pulled the car up to the monument that marked where the four corners of the states were.

"Huh," Dean said, looking over at me. "You sure this is the place?"

I frowned and nodded, noting the abandoned monument. "That's what he said," I answered, thinking about the early morning _call, _via a dream, I'd had from Castiel to send us on a hunt to stop one of the seals being broken.

"Four children of four nations sacrificed upon the four corners of the Anasazi lands," I said, quoting the obscure angel. "Well that's the SouthWest, and why he couldn't have just said... go here... I don't know," I said, answering Dean's question before he even spoke it.

"Well, he's going to have to start speaking English, _our English, _if he wants us to get this stuff right," Dean commented, shaking his head at the empty monument.

"He is right," Sam said, looking up from his computer in the back seat.

"Huh?" Dean asked.

"This isn't the right location," Sam said and we turned to gape at him.

"Um, there's a monument right there that says otherwise," Dean pointed out.

"No, not according to this. According to this the original surveys were out by two point five miles. We're actually standing in Utah right now. We need to be east of Route 160 and northeast of the San Juan River."

Dean scowled and put the car into gear, getting back on the highway. "Dammit," he muttered as he floored it. As we neared the mile marker for the where the _real _ corners were supposed to be, Dean eased the car to a crawl, turning the lights to low so we could creep along.

There was very little to see by, the moon being new, and we pulled the car over, killing the lights when we spotted a fire in the distance. We climbed out, grabbing our guns with rock salt, and extra holy water. Dean took Ruby's knife and led the way through the underbrush and into the woods near the river.

As we neared the gathering we could see five demons, all distracted by the task at hand. They had four children, all of different ethnicities and they were being held by a demon each in the four corners of the clearing where the fire was burning. A fifth demon was moving around the fire chanting in a language I didn't recognise as he took a nasty looking blade and started toward the first child.

The child whimpered and started to struggle against the demon that was holding her, and I couldn't help myself, I had to get to her before anything happened, this was one seal I wasn't about to let fall.

"Beth!" Dean whispered to me as I took off running, and crashed into the circle. I tackled the demon to the ground, rolling him away from the girl who screamed. I punched the demon in the nose and the kneed him in the groin as we rolled along the ground before finding our feet.

Sam ran in, grabbing the girl and pulling her into the woods while Dean advanced on the head demon with the knife. The demon smirked at him and looked at one of his companions.

"Get the girl!" She said, and the demon nodded, pushing the child he was holding to where a demon was still holding their sacrifice.

"Time to go back to Hell," Dean said confidently and rushed at the demon. The woman possessed moved easily on her feet and she spun around, black eyes glaring at him as she side-stepped his attack.

"You first Winchester," she said with a snarl and she waved her hand. I didn't wait to see what she was working at, attacking the demon in front of me again in hand-to-hand combat. I tossed some holy water at him and he flailed backwards giving me the opportunity to run at him, ramming him into a nearby tree, he went down and stayed down, unconscious. With a sigh of relief I turned to see bats swarming down on Dean and he batted at them.

When the beetles started to skitter across the ground I saw him pale and back away a little. The bats attacked again and Dean froze, the knife dropping to the ground.

"Dean!" I yelled, and I ran as hard as I could to beat the demon to the knife as Dean stared, unmoving. I dove for the knife, skidding along the ground and rolled to my feet when I grasped it in my hands, holding it out in front of me as the demon woman growled her frustration and ran at me.

I used her momentary frustration to my advantage, feinting and then attacking from the other direction, the knife finding its target as I stabbed her in the stomach. She looked shocked, and then fell backwards off the knife to the ground, dead. The bats and beetles flew into the night and I turned to eye off the other demons holding the children.

"You've lost this one. Leave the children and save yourselves, or I'll kill you one by one," I threatened, casting a wary look at Dean who was breathing hard and trying to catch his breath as he fell to his knee on the ground.

The demons smirked at me, and started to walk toward me confidently until something behind me caught their eye. Sam had returned, and he looked like he was out for blood. They hesitated, looking at him with fear, which I found curious because I was holding the knife, and then they ran, leaving the children behind.

I breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Sam who was watching Dean. "Get the kids back to the car, we'll be there in a minute," I said, and I didn't wait for a response, kneeling in front of Dean and lifting his chin to look him in the eyes.

"Dean... it's over, time to go," I said softly and he swallowed, looking at me with dark hazel eyes full of old painful memories. He nodded, and I stood, pulling him to his feet and slipping my arm around his waist. I'd seen that memory before, the one of being eaten alive for days by scarab beetles. That demon had been a witch, it knew how to summon the creatures of the earth, and it hadn't been afraid to use them.

I'd seen him hesitate, in the last few hunts, but nothing like this. Whatever had triggered that memory, it had gone deep, and Dean was looking pale and unhappy.

Sam came rushing toward us as we exited the tree line. "Are you guys okay? Dean, what happened to you?"

"Nothing," I said, "There were four against us, plus one of the demons was using earth magic. They attacked Dean the hardest," I said, exchanging a look with Dean who nodded quietly.

"You're all right though?" Sam asked, looking at Dean concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, quit fussing!" Dean snapped, stalking past him toward the car. Sam looked after him with a confused expression and I patted him on the shoulder.

"He's fine Sam, he's fine," I said, more for myself than for him. Dean was far from fine, but he was working through it, we were working through it; it was just going to take some time.

I slid into the centre of the front seat, leaving a space for Sam as the four children were in the back. Turning around to face them, I placed a hand against Dean's chest as he sat in the driver's seat, staring at the road ahead and catching his breath. I felt his chest start to calm as I came into contact with him and he visibly relaxed, tossing me a smile.

As Sam threw a couple of bags into the trunk to make room, Dean leaned over and kissed me quickly on the cheek. "Thanks," he said softly and I nodded, smiling back at him. "I don't know what I'd do without you," he added, starting the car up and I bit my lip with worry.

"You'll never have to find out," I promised, patting his chest softly. Sam climbed into the front seat and shut the door and I looked back at the kids again.

"Hey kids, you're safe now, we're going to get you back to your parents, all right?" I said in a reassuring tone, they were in shock, not even crying from their ordeal. They just nodded at me and I smiled. "Can you tell me your names and where you're from?" I asked, and Sam pulled out his laptop, looking up the local police. It would be best to drop them off at the nearest law enforcement centre and be on our way, midnight had passed and the seal was safe, we'd done our duty on this one.

* * *

_**Present Day  
Albuquerque, New Mexico**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean's heart was beating slowly under my ear as he slept, and I lay silently listening to it as Sam moved around the room. I never opened my eyes, letting him do whatever it was he was up to as I pretended I was just as asleep as his brother. Sam hovered over us, watching us for a moment and I forced myself to keep my eyes closed, to resist the urge to take a peep and see what he was up to. Finally he moved, and I could hear him walk to the door, the sound of the hinges squeaking as he opened the door and then walked out shutting it behind him.

At the sound of the door closing Dean moved slightly, muttering in his sleep and then kissed the top of my head as he settled in against me once more. I waited a few moments before extricating myself from Dean's arms, and moved over to the window, peering out into the night. Sam was standing in the car lot, and a car pulled up beside him. Without hesitating, he got into the passenger side. I tried to see who was driving but it was too dark. It didn't matter, I already had an idea as to who it was.

"Beth..." Dean muttered in his sleep and I turned around to see Castiel sitting on the bed with him, watching Dean sleep.

"Castiel?" I asked, looking at him, he ignored me and I frowned, taking a step back towards the two men. Suddenly Dean cried out from a nightmare and sat up, jerking backwards when he saw Castiel.

"Hello, Dean. What were you dreaming about?" Castiel asked.

Dean looked around the room, stopping when he saw me standing a few feet behind Castiel. I shrugged and started to move around to his side.

"What, do you get your freak on by watching other people sleep?" Dean asked with a scowl, rubbing a hand across his tired face. "What do you want?"

"Listen to me. You have to stop it," Castiel said. I looked at him sharply and Dean frowned.

"Stop what?" He asked. In answer Castiel put two fingers to Dean's forehead and a second later we were the only two in the room.

"Hey!" I said, grabbing at Castiel, "what did you just do?!"

Castiel looked at me with a frown. "This is not your fight," he said, and I shook my head.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, don't you start that with me too. I go where Dean goes, now where have you sent him?" I asked. Castiel hesitated, looking at me curiously.

"I have sent him where he is needed," Castiel answered elusively.

"Well then send me too," I said urgently, feeling my heart start to race.

"You are not needed," he said. I grabbed the lapels of his coat and pulled him to his feet, glaring.

"What is it with you? Have we not given enough? Have I not prayed hard enough lately? We go _everywhere _you need us, we do everything you ask, and we do it together!" Castiel frowned at me and I faltered letting go of the coat.

"Please. Castiel. You don't understand. He's not ready to go out on his own," I said.

"He is healthy, strong," Castiel said.

"In body, sure, but … you don't understand, he's not …where the hell have you been that you haven't seen it?" I asked, feeling my fear of being separated from Dean rise to my throat. Castiel simply frowned at my anxiety, clearly not understanding.

"You have to send me wherever you've sent him, please," I said. He looked contemplatively at me.

"Please. Just... do it for me," I said, holding my hands in front of me in a prayerful gesture. I wasn't above getting on my hands and knees and begging if that was going to move him to action. Fortunately it didn't come to that. He nodded.

"Very well," he said, and he reached out to place two fingers against my forehead while everything went black.

* * *

_**Approx 35 years ago  
**__**Lawrence, Kansas**_

**Dean's POV**

"Move it buddy – you can't sleep here," someone said to me, shaking me awake. I looked around, my mind a foggy mess, and tried to gain my bearings. I found myself looking at a police officer.

"Okay... sleep... where?" I asked, shaking my head and sitting up. I was on a bench.

"Anywhere but here," he said to me, and he moved along.

I looked around and reached for my phone, wondering where on earth Cas had zapped me to, and where was Beth? I pulled my phone out and dialled her number, but there was no signal. I held it up for a bit but it didn't seem to help, so I snapped the phone shut with a sigh.

"Perfect," I muttered. Beth was going to be going nuts, that freaking angel had a lot of explaining to do whenever I got back from where I was now. I looked across the street and saw a diner; shrugging I climbed to my feet and decided to see what the locals had to say for themselves.

They had a bit of a retro theme going on, that was for sure as I sat down at the counter, feeling a little worse for wear. I looked over at a young man sitting next to me, groaning.

"Hey, where the hell am I?" I asked, and he looked at me with a smile.

"Jay Bird's Diner," he replied.

"Yeah, thanks," I said, shaking my head. "I mean, uh... city and state."

The guy looked at me a little amused, raising an eyebrow. "Lawrence, Kansas."

"Lawrence..." I said, looking around. _What the hell was I doing here?_

"Are you okay buddy?" The guy asked.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "Tough night," I added, trying to explain away my state of confusion.

"Hey, uh, coffee here, Reg," he said to the man behind the counter.

"Okay, coming right up," came the reply. I pulled my phone out of my pocket again, intent on calling Beth and telling her where I was before she started ripping Cas a new one.

"Can you tell me where I can get reception on this thing?" I asked the guy next to me.

He smirked and raised his eyebrow at me again. "The USS Enterprise?" I glanced at the man with an amused look, what the hell was he talking about? Reg walked up with my coffee and placed it in front of me, for the first time I noticed what the hell he was wearing. He was dressed from head to toe in honest-to-god Sonny Bono hippie gear, I stared in amazement.

"Thanks... nice threads. You know Sonny and Cher broke up, right?" I said with a chuckle.

The man next to me looked surprised. "Sonny and Cher broke up?" He asked, exchanging a confused look with Reg.

I frowned, how the hell could he not know that? I cast an eye around the diner, something seemed very out of sorts here. As I looked closer, I noticed everyone was dressed in clothes out of the 70s. I looked over at the newspaper the guy was reading and the headline was talking about Nixon and the date... the date was April 30... 1973.

_1973?! Oh shit._

A man entered the diner. "Hey Winchester," he said and I spun around at the same time that the guy next to me did. The man who had addressed me walked straight past , clasping the hand of the young man next to me and shaking it vigorously.

"Son of a bitch," he said to the young man. "How you doing Corporal?"

"Hey, Mr D." My companion said with a smile.

"I heard you were back," Mr D. said and I took a closer look at the man he was talking to... _Winchester? Surely not?_

"Yeah, a little while now," he said with a nod.

"Good to have you home, John, damn good," Mr D. said.

"Dad?" I said softly, staring at the man next to me now. Man, where the hell was Beth now? She'd die to see this!

"Well, say hello to your old man for me," Mr D said, starting to walk away.

"You got it, Mr D." Dad said to him and then he noticed me staring at him.

"Do we know each other?" Dad asked me and I shook my head slightly.

"I guess not," I said, trying to cover up my shock by taking another drink of my coffee. Dad hesitated, looking at me and then he stood up.

"Take it easy, pal," he said, getting up and walking for the door.

"Yeah," I said with a nod, watching as he left. _What the hell was going on here?_

As soon as I was sure Dad was out of range of noticing me I left the diner, following him. He walked around a corner and I hurried to catch him just in case he got out of sight. As I turned the corner someone bumped into me and I found myself looking into the blue eyes of my newest least favourite angel.

"What is this?!" I snapped, watching Dad walk away.

"What does it look like?" He asked.

"Is it real?" I questioned.

"Very," he answered.

"Okay, so what? Angels got their hands on some Deloreans? How did I get here?" I asked, starting to feel a little panicked, I was back in a time before I'd even been born, what the hell?

"Time is fluid, Dean. It's not easy, but we can bend it on occasion," Castiel answered in his infuriatingly even toned voice.

"Well bend it back or tell me what the hell I'm doing here! And where's Beth?!"

"I told you, you have to stop it," Castiel said.

"Stop what? Huh? What, is there something after my Dad?" I asked. A car's horn sounded loudly behind me and I jumped. When I turned back the angel had vanished.

"Oh come on! What, are you allergic to straight answers, you son of a bitch?!" I said to thin air.

**Beth's POV**

I found myself standing in a park, a little pond nearby as children fed bread to some ducks. I glanced around, looking for Dean, but he was nowhere to be seen. Nor for that matter was Castiel, I was alone. I sighed and started walking along the path that followed the pond and led toward what appeared to be the town square.

Pulling out my phone I looked at the screen, noticing that there was no reception where I was standing. That was weird. I turned the phone off, and then back on again, but still there was nothing, even when I waved it around in the air, which earned me a few odd stares from people walking by.

A young man came up to me with a smile, and I smiled back, noting the seriously out of date clothing he was wearing, he looked like he was on his way to a 70s disco. "Are you all right?" He asked with a concerned look. "You seem a little lost."

"Uh, no, I'm all right, I'm just... okay maybe I am a little lost. Can you tell me where I am? I think I took a wrong turn on the map," I said. He chuckled and nodded.

"You're in Lawrence, Kansas," he said.

"Lawrence?" I asked, raising my eyebrow. Well I certainly hadn't been back here since trying to break Dean out of Hell. Funny, it hadn't looked like this so much when I'd driven through a few months back.

"Are you sure you're all right? Can I get you something from the diner perhaps?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"No, thank you. I'm fine now, I'm just going to uh... wait for my husband who is around here somewhere... and we'll get back on the road." I said. He nodded and smile.

"Well, have a nice day," he said as he walked away.

"Yeah... you too," I said softly, watching as the polite man continued along the path. Weird, how often did you get guys genuinely checking if you were all right? Most of the time it was an excuse to try and jump in your pants. He hadn't even batted an eye at the husband comment. Strange.

Suddenly my eyes caught sight of a young man who was walking across the park and I stopped dead in my tracks, stunned.

"Dad?" I asked, looking at him. I'd have recognised him anywhere, he was younger, a lot younger, but he was still the same man I'd known as a little girl. I started to jog after him, yet kept my distance so that he wouldn't be aware that I was following him. He cut across a side street and into a church and I followed, curious as to what he was doing. The chapel was brightly lit by the mid-day sun, its stained-glass windows casting beautiful patterns across the interior as I stepped into the aisle and walked down to the middle of the pews.

My Dad had disappeared from sight, so I took a seat in the pew nearest me, kneeling and pulling out my rosary. I knew he hadn't left, so I would simply wait for him to show himself again. "Castiel," I said softly. "Where the hell have you landed me? Or should I say 'when the hell?'... and where's Dean? You were supposed to be sending me to him!" I whispered urgently. I got no response, sighing and leaning my forehead against the pew in front.

"Now surely things are not so bad that they require such an intense face," a voice sounded next to me, and I looked up into my Dad's eyes. They twinkled cheekily as he sat next to me, I noticed he had changed his clothes and was now wearing a sweater with a minister's collar around his neck.

"Sorry," I said, finding it hard not to stare at him. "I have a lot on my mind."

"I can see that," he answered with a nod. "'Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God..."

"...And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus," I finished, and he looked a little surprised at me.

"So young to know such a phrase," he said with curiosity. I raised an eyebrow at him, I had to be older than him.

"Older than you, I would suspect," I said to him.

"Ah, but I am a trained minister, I'm supposed to know my scripture. Not many can quote Isaiah back to me however," he said with a chuckle.

I smiled, wanting to just reach out and touch him, to have him hold me and tell me everything was all right. "Well... my Dad was a minister too, he taught me everything I know," I said quietly, looking down at my hands.

"I'm sure he's very proud of you," he said with a smile and I nodded slightly, staring at my wedding ring.

"I hope so," I said with a smile, looking up at him again. "He's been dead for some time now, I've been without his guidance for many years."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but if you pray to Heaven, he will hear your prayers and be gladdened," Dad said and I smiled tearfully, nodding.

"I do, every night," I said.

Dad's eyes softened as he looked at me, and he looked at the rosary hanging around my neck. I held it in my hands, conscious that he might recognise it, and then I remembered that they hadn't even been created at this point.

"That is a very unique rosary," he said, gesturing toward it. I nodded, taking it off and letting him hold it.

"My father had a matching one," I said, and he gazed curiously at it.

"Iron fittings, can't say I've ever come across that before," he murmured as he rolled the beads through his fingers. I glanced at his left hand and noticed a plain gold band on his ring finger, my breath catching as I stared at him. He was married, that had to mean... I froze, unable to even consider what that meant.

Mom. She was here, and she was alive, and it was before I was born... if I could just warn them somehow...

Dad smiled and handed the rosary back to me with a nod. "It's lovely," he said, standing up and moving into the aisle.

"I will leave you to your prayers, but if you should need me, I will be in the office," he said and I nodded, watching as he walked away. How was I going to tell them that in fifteen years my Mom was going to be possessed by a demon and taken from us? Was my Dad even a hunter now? I hung the rosary around my neck and resolved to keep following Dad until I could either find Dean and get his opinion on the whole thing, or find my Mom and see if inspiration hit.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

Given I had nothing else to go on, I trailed Dad to a car dealership and my heart skipped a beat when I saw _Baby _sitting in the car lot. _Really? _I nearly had a heart attack when I saw the _Scooby Mobile _Dad was planning to buy.

"A fine young man like yourself, just starting out? How about I take off another 250?" The salesman said to Dad and he considered before nodding.

"Let's do it," he said with a smile.

"I'll get the paperwork," said the salesman as he wandered off into the office. I leaned against the Impala, shaking my head and watching Dad rubbing at the headlights of the VW van.

"That's not the one you want," I said eventually and he looked up in surprise.

"You following me?" He asked.

"No, no, I was just passing by. I never got to thank you for that cup of coffee this morning," I said casually. "I was a little out of it."

"More than a little," Dad said, coming over to look at the Impala.

"Let me repay the favour," I said, patting the hood of the car. "This is the car you want," I insisted.

"Oh yeah, you – you know something about cars?" Dad asked and I smiled, thinking about all the good times I'd had working on the car with Dad, and then working on the car with Beth, _and then in the car with Beth_. I shook my head.

"Yeah… yeah, my Dad taught me everything I know," I said softly before turning to open the hood of the Impala. "And this - this is a great car," I added, leaning in to look at the engine.

"327 four barrel, 275 horses… A little TLC and this thing is cherry," I said with another smile.

"You know man, you're right," Dad agreed. I nodded over my shoulder at the van.

"Then what are you buying that thing for?" I asked.

"I kinda promised someone I would," he said and I snickered.

"Over a '67 Chevy? I mean, come on, this is the car of a lifetime. Trust me, this thing's still gonna be badass when it's forty," I said, staring at the engine.

Dad looked at the car, considering what I'd said and I could have rung his neck, he _had to get this car! _Finally he looked at me and held out his hand.

"John Winchester. Thanks," he said. I took his hand and shook it.

"Dean Van Halen – and... thank you," I said with a smile. Dad moved off to look through the window of the car and I followed him, just wanting to keep the conversation going and maybe get some answers.

"I was in pretty rough shape this morning, huh?" I said, leaning against the car.

"No kidding," Dad said with a nod.

"I've been hung over before but, hey, I was, I was getting chills in that diner. You didn't feel any of those cold spots, did you?" I asked.

"Nope."

"I swore I smelled something weird too, you know? Like… like rotten eggs. You didn't happen to smell any sulphur by chance?" I pushed.

"No," Dad answered, giving me an odd look.

"No… there been any cattle mutilations in town recently?" I asked, pushing a little further and then almost kicking myself as soon as I said it.

"Okay, mister! Stop it," Dad said and I shook my head.

"Yeah, if only I knew what to stop…" I muttered, this was getting me nowhere. "Listen, uh – watch out for yourself, okay?" I said.

"Yeah, sure," Dad said, nodding and starting to look a little freaked out. I patted the Impala once more and then walked away as the salesman came back up to Dad.

"So?" Asked the salesman and I stopped briefly behind another van to listen in.

"I'll take this one," Dad said, and I chuckled when he pointed at the Impala. _Score one for me!_

A few hours later I was in a stolen car following the Impala down a quiet neighbourhood street. Dad pulled up in front of a neatly kept house and a young blonde woman came running out to greet him.

"Hey," Dad said as he got out of the car.

"What's this?" She asked, looking at the Impala.

"My car," he said and she walked around the back of the car, looking it over.

"What happened to the van?" She asked.

"Mary, this is better than the van! This has got a 327 barrel, a four barrel carburettor," Dad said and I swear my mouth dropped open.

"Mom?" I said softly, staring at the woman with him. Serious? Just what the hell was going on?

I watched her laugh and shake her head, frowning.

"Sammy, wherever you are, Mom is a babe…" I muttered, watching as she teased Dad about his choice in buying a muscle car. "I'm going to Hell… again."

* * *

**Beth's POV**

I'd followed Dad to a local diner where he was chatting to a couple of local youths in a booth about how it was important to attend church in order to look after our souls. I rolled my eyes a little and when he looked up at me I smiled.

"Hey, small world," he said as I walked past the booth.

I stopped and nodded, looking around. "Thought I'd try out the local food," I said with a smile.

"Going to be getting pretty late soon for you to be out on your own isn't it?" He asked and I fought the instant daddy-daughter reply to snap back at him. Even now he was lecturing me.

"Uh, yeah, well I'm meeting my husband, he seems to be running late," I said. _He seems to be freaking missing in action was more like it. _

Dad looked down at my wedding ring and smiled with a nod. "Well, I hope he doesn't keep you waiting too long," he said. I agreed.

"Yeah, me neither," I said with a sigh as I wandered over to another booth and sat in there, hiding in the corner.

A young couple walked into the diner and ordered milkshakes, stopping to talk to my Dad as well before taking a table nearby. I couldn't really see them over the high backed booth I was sitting in but I could hear them talking, and soon enough I realised with a start just who it was I was listening to.

"I should just talk to him," the man said.

"My Dad's being my Dad, John. It's not you," said the girl, trying to comfort him.

"Mary, how is it not me? He's been like this for how many years?"

"He's just protective over me, that's all. He doesn't want me to…"

"Hook up with a mechanic from a family of mechanics?" He asked and I raised my eyebrow, trying to listen a little more.

"No! Hey, I love you, for exactly what you are," Mary said. "I'll be right back," she added, standing up and heading past me toward the bathroom. I got up and followed her, curious about the woman who I assumed was one day going to be Dean's mother.

Curiosity grew as I reached the bathroom, entering to find that the window was now open and Mary was nowhere in sight. I hurried across and climbed into the alley myself, spotting a couple of figures in the distance.

I saw a man turn to face Mary and she attacked, kneeing him in the stomach and throwing him against a metal container next to the building. She threw a punch at him and he dodged.

"Are you crazy?!" I heard him say and I snickered, I would have recognised that voice anywhere.

Mary continued to attack Dean despite his protests as I jogged along the alley to where they were. Dean backed away from her as she came at him, and he eventually managed to grab her arms, halting her for a moment.

"You've been trailing us since my house," Mary accused and I crossed my arms, watching and leaning against a dumpster as they argued.

"I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Really?!" Mary snapped, and she broke free of his grasp, kicking him in the gut. He doubled over and she took the opportunity to knee him in the head, sending him flying against a chainlink fence. She was about to punch him again when I grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her side as she struggled against me.

"Beth?!" Dean exclaimed as he stood up, shaking his head.

"Hey, looked like you could use a little help here," I said with a grin and he shook his head, smiling at me then looking at Mary.

"I had it under control," he insisted and I snickered while Mary went still, assessing the situation.

"Okay, how about we talk about this, huh?" Dean asked, looking at her.

"Let me go!" Mary said, but I just tightened my grip on her.

"How about you do what the lady says?" A voice sounded behind me and I groaned, looking at Dean as a knife came up underneath my chin. I released Mary, raising my hands in the air and stepping back a little from the knife and finding myself pressed against the person wielding it.

"Patrick!" Mary said, moving away from Dean and toward my father.

"Patrick?" Dean asked, looking at me in surprise. I shrugged and raised my eyebrow at him.

There was a glint of silver at Mary's wrist which caught my eye and I ignored the danger of the knife, grabbing at her and lifting it to look closer. It was a charm bracelet with protective charms all over it.

I looked at her as Dad tightened the knife, pulling me away from her again. "Wait…" I said, staring into her eyes. "Are you a hunter?"

She looked surprised and I felt Dad soften, lowering the knife and I pulled away, crossing to Dean who put his arm around my waist protectively.

"Hunter?" He asked, surprised. "Both of you?"

"What do you know about it?" Patrick asked, eyeing me carefully.

"Enough to know a hunter when I see one," I said, suddenly very curious about this part of my Dad's life which had been kept secreted away, I had no idea he'd been hunting this early.

Dad looked at Mary and she shrugged, shaking her head. "We can discuss this later," he said to her. "John is inside waiting for you." She nodded and left us standing there and I cringed, we were getting the same stern looking lecture expression from Dad now that I would be getting from him as a teenager.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

A few hours later we'd managed to convince Patrick we weren't any harm, and had watched from outside as Dad and Mom left the diner. We followed them back to Mom's house, arriving in time to see Dad drive off and she start walking inside. We got out of the car and walked up to her, she spotted us right away.

"Dean and Beth, right?" She said, clearly having caught up a little with Patrick before he'd left the diner. "I'm not sure you should come in," she said, glancing at the house.

"You can trust us. I mean, come on, we're all hunters right? I mean, we're – we're practically family," I said, slipping my arm around Beth who gave him an amused look.

"Yeah, thing is, my Dad, he's a little, um…"

"Oh I gotta meet him," I said eagerly, curious about the grandfather I'd never known.

"You've heard of him?" Mom asked curiously.

"Clearly not enough," I said with a frown.

Mary sighed and nodded, and the next thing we knew we were inside the Campbell house getting grilled by a rough and tough hunter.

"So, you're a hunter?" He asked us, clearly not convinced. "Well tell me something, Mr and Mrs Hunters… you kill vampires with wooden stakes or silver?" He asked and I exchanged an amused look with Beth.

"Neither, you cut their heads off," I answered with a smirk.

"Yeah, silver works better on werewolves," Beth said with a raised eyebrow, crossing her arms and looking at him, refusing to be intimidated.

Mom smiled, biting back a laugh. "So, did we pass your test?" I asked.

"Yep. Now get out of my house," he said.

"Dad!" Mom exclaimed.

"I don't trust other hunters, Dean, don't want their help, don't want them around my family," he said.

His wife was setting the table in the dining room next to us and she stopped, frowning and looking at her husband.

"Knock it off, Samuel," she called out.

"They're hunters," he snapped back and she walked into the room.

"They passed your little pop quiz, and now I am inviting them to dinner. Are you hungry?" She asked, turning a smile toward us.

"Starving," I said with a grin.

"Good. I'm Deanna," she said, shaking my hand. "You've met my husband Samuel, now wash up," she added with a smile.

I looked at Mom and then Beth, who raised an eyebrow at me and smiled.

"Samuel and Deanna?" I asked. Mom nodded and Beth shook her head in amusement. "Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Mhmmm," Beth said, sidling up to me as everyone walked down the hallway toward a bathroom. "Looks like you're named after a girl, baby," she said quietly and I shoved her gently, shaking my head.

"Shut up!" It was more than a little disconcerting.

A short while later we were sitting around the dining table when there was a knock at the door. I looked up, not at all surprised to see Patrick walk into the room with a broad smile on his face, carrying a bottle of wine.

"Samuel, Deanna, sorry we're late," he said and Samuel actually smiled at him, shaking his hand.

"Not at all Patrick, you're just in time," he said.

Deanna fussed over Patrick, taking his jacket and then hung it up on a nearby coat rack. I heard Beth's breath catch and turned to see a beautiful young brunette walk into the room with bright blue eyes. Beth grabbed my hand under the table, squeezing it hard and I squeezed it back, realising who it was that had just joined us.

"We have some visitors. This is Dean and Beth," Deanna said to Patrick and he nodded.

"Yes, we met earlier," Patrick replied, smiling and putting an arm around the other woman. "This is my wife, Grace," he introduced and Beth nearly broke my finger she was holding on to me so hard.

"It's nice to meet you," Beth said, staring at her mother.

"Likewise," Grace said with a smile, turning to me. I patted Beth's knee a little, urging her to calm down and she looked down at the table, nodding ever so slightly.

Everyone took a seat as Deanna started to bring plates laden with roast beef and vegetables to the table.

"First time in Lawrence, Beth?" She asked, placing a plate in front of Beth.

"Well, it's been a while," she answered with a smile. "Things sure have changed… I think."

"You working a job?" Samuel asked, looking directly at me.

"Yeah, maybe," I said cryptically.

"What's that mean?" He asked.

"It means I don't trust other hunters either, Samuel," I said with a smirk, earning me a glare from the man. Patrick chuckled and shook his head.

"So care to explain why you were following John and Mary?" Patrick asked, lifting a drink to his mouth.

"Hmmm," I said, looking from Beth to Mary. "I thought something was after your, um, boyfriend. But … I don't think that anymore."

"John Winchester mixing it up with spirits, can you imagine?" Grace said with a smile, shaking her head and Samuel sighed heavily, rolling his eyes.

"I saw that," Mary said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"What?"

"That sour lemon look," she said. I snickered, now we knew where Sam got his from.

"Now hold on, John is a really nice guy," Grace said, interrupting and looking at Samuel pointedly.

"Yeah, a really, really nice… naïve civilian," Samuel countered.

"So what? You'd rather me be with a guy like Patrick?" Mary asked, "Or like this guy?" She nodded toward me.

"What? No, no. Noooo." I said, shaking my head. Beth raised her eyebrow in amusement, looking silently at me. "Nothing personal," I said softly and she chuckled.

"Mary, of course not, it's just that I…." Samuel's argument was interrupted by Deanna.

"That's enough, both of you, we have company," she said and everyone fell silent. I watched as Patrick and Samuel exchanged a look and it dawned on me, these two were very chummy. I looked again at Mom and I started to wonder, maybe Samuel _had_ gotten it into his mind about her being with someone like us… only he'd married someone else instead.

"So, what about you, Samuel, you uh, working a job?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Might be," he said, just as cryptically as I had been, taking a sip of whiskey from his glass.

"He's working a job on the Whitshire Farm," Mary said and Samuel gave her a dirty look.

"Whitshire, why does that name sound familiar?" Beth asked, looking at me.

"Well, it's been all over the papers. Tom Whitshire. Got tangled up in a combine a few towns over," Grace said, looking around the table.

"That kind of thing happens," I said, shrugging. It wasn't exactly hard core evidence of something supernatural going on.

"So why was he on it in the first place when his crops are all dead?"

"Demonic omens?" Beth asked, looking up at Samuel.

"That's what I gotta find out," he muttered, taking another drink.

"What about the rest of the town?" I asked. "Did you find anything on the web... of information that you have assembled," I said quickly, catching my mistake as everyone looked curiously at me.

"Electrical storms, maybe," Deanna said. "The weather service graphs should be here on Friday."

"By mail?" I asked incredulously.

"No, we hired a jet liner to fly 'em to us overnight," Samuel said sarcastically and Patrick snickered, shaking his head.

"You know, it sounds to me like we might be hunting the same thing. You know if we go in there in numbers, we could take care of this real quick," I said.

"What part of 'we work alone' do you not understand, son?" Samuel asked. I looked at Patrick and raised an eyebrow.

"And them?" I asked, nodding at Patrick and Grace.

"Well... Patrick is my son, and this is a family business," Samuel said. Beth almost spat out her drink, instead inhaling it the wrong way and starting to cough and splutter from water going down the wrong way.

"Sorry..." she said, jumping up and holding a napkin over her mouth. "Sorry, I just... can I use your bathroom?" She didn't wait for an answer and almost ran out the door and down the hallway.

"Is she okay?" Deanna asked and I stared after her, gobsmacked.

"Uh, yeah, she'll be fine..." I said nonchalantly, leaning back in my chair and peering at Patrick –_ oh this couldn't be good. How did we miss that? Surely Dad would have known? Wouldn't he have said something?! Was this why he didn't want us getting involved? Well why did he give us his blessing then?!_

Grace stood up and smiled. "I'll just go check on her, she looked like she'd had a bit of a start," she said. Deanna nodded and stood up, starting to clear the plates with Mom's help.

"No, uh, Grace, that's okay... I'll go and check on her," I said, jumping up. The last thing Beth probably wanted to see was her mother walking in on her right now. Then again, I wasn't so sure she'd want to see me either. I took a breath and started down the hall.

"I'll be serving dessert soon, peach cobbler!" Deanna called after me.

Normally I'd be jumping at the idea but my stomach was suddenly in knots. I sighed, running a hand across my face, just not what we needed thrown at us right now.

* * *

**Beth's POV**

I dashed cold water on my face and stared into the mirror, trying to calm down my breathing. '_Okay, think...' _I thought to myself. '_If Dad was a Campbell, why had we always gone by O'Malley? Well he's a hunter, it's obviously fake!' _I blinked, shaking my head. _Oh God, oh God, oh God. _Damn, that certainly hadn't been been the reason I'd been saying _Oh God _a few nights back... I looked down at my wedding ring again and groaned. _Shit!_

There was a knock on the door and I jumped, looking over. "Dean?"

"Yeah," he mumbled from behind the door and I crossed to open it, pulling him into the bathroom with me.

"Hey, now I've been thinking... it's not as bad as it sounds, and we don't have to actually _tell anyone... _I mean, everyone who knows is … well... dead, except us," he started and I looked at the expression of concentration on his face and everything suddenly seemed hysterically funny. I sat down on the toilet lid, covering my face with my hands as my shoulders shook in quiet laughter.

"God why does this _always _happen to us?" I asked, looking up at him.

"Hey, look at it this way... at least one of us has already been to Hell..." he said with a grin and I looked incredulously at him.

"That isn't funny Dean."

"Oh come on, it's a little funny..." he said, pulling me to my feet and into his arms. "Beth, this doesn't change how I feel about you, they could have told me you were my full blooded sister and I'd still feel exactly the same way as I always have," he said, brushing a thumb along my cheekbone.

"Instead we're kissing cousins?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, it worked for Elvis," he said, leaning down to kiss me tentatively, almost like he was expecting me to pull away. I sighed, taking his face in my hands and softly kissing him back. He was right, this didn't change how I felt, he was still my husband, I still loved him beyond life itself.

Dean grinned as we pulled back from the kiss. "There, not so bad, we didn't burst into flames. Let's just not... uh... let's not tell Sam, huh?" He said with a grin. I laughed and nodded.

"It can be our little secret," I said, biting my lip. "Do you think we could just get out of here? God it's been a big day...I'm exhausted."

Dean nodded, looking at me with concern. "Yeah, all right, we'll go get a room somewhere, huh?"

"And pay with what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Dean grinned, pulling out John's journal from his jacket and flipping to the back. Tucked in the back along with a bunch of photos was a wad of cash.

"This ought to do it, the rainy day cash stash," he said.

"I didn't know you'd done that," I said, frowning.

"I do a lot of things when you're not looking, I'm full of surprises sugarpie," he said with a grin and I smiled: indeed he was.

* * *

_**The Next Day  
Whitshire Farm**_

**Beth's POV**

I frowned at Dean as he adjusted his collar and grinned at me. "How do I look?" He asked, looking in the mirror of the _borrowed _car we'd acquired earlier in the morning.

"Hmmm. Like I'm already going to Hell for kissing my cousin, now I'm having impure thoughts about a priest," I said with a grin. "But you're gonna have to lose that," I added, gesturing to his wedding ring.

"Oh yeah," he said, starting to tug at it. He looked at it hesitantly and then handed it to me. "Take care of it," he said and I smiled, slipping it over my own wedding ring with a nod.

"Too bad they didn't have any nun costumes, huh?" He asked and I chuckled.

"As if getting caught kissing last time wasn't bad enough, now we really would be in a bad way," I said with a laugh and Dean chuckled.

"So I'll check indoors with the family, you canvass the outside," Dean said, nodding to the fields.

"Okay, be careful," I said. Dean leaned across and gave me a relatively chaste kiss before leaving the car and heading up to the front porch where he knocked on the door. A woman answered and after a brief discussion they went inside while I started to look around.

After a little while I heard another car coming up the driveway and turned to see that it was Samuel and he had Mary and Mom with him. I ducked behind a tree and watched as they got out of the car, Mary was arguing with him about why they were even there.

"Family business, Mary... family," Samuel said. Mary looked at him sullenly. "What? You'd rather be waving pom-poms at a bunch of jocks?" He asked and I snickered. I knew what I'd rather be doing.

"And what about Grace, Dad? And where is Patrick anyway?" Mary asked.

"He's investigating the other farms, you know that, and Grace is here in case her little angel friends decide to have something of interest to say," Samuel answered. "Plus, she doesn't give me a hard time like you do!"

Mary scowled and marched up the stairs to the house carrying a cake, Samuel followed. I watched curiously as Mom said something to Samuel and then walked off toward the barn at the back of the house. I decided to follow her, wondering what she was up to.

As I was rounding a corner of the barn I ran into her, she looked as if she'd been waiting for me.

"Hi Beth," she said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Uh...fine," I said, trying to appear casual even though I was having another conversation with my own mother, who was currently younger than me, in less than twenty-four hours.

"I just wanted to check that you were all right," she said and I raised my eyebrow, running a hand through my hair. "You seemed a little upset, last night."

"Yeah, well, I was just a little..."

"Surprised to hear about your father being your husband's mother's brother?" Mom asked and I almost fell over.

"What?" I asked, not sure which part I was supposed to be more surprised over.

Mom chuckled and took my hands, her touch instantly calming me. "It's all right Beth, it's not what you think," she said.

"I have no idea what I'm thinking right now..." I said, shaking my head. "In fact, I'm fairly certain I don't even know where to start with that statement."

"Beth, you don't need to worry, Patrick isn't Samuel's real son," she said.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Samuel adopted Patrick after his parents were murdered by demons," Mom explained and I opened my eyes. "He raised him as his own from the age of eight."

"Oh," I said, feeling an immense sensation of relief wash through me. Even though Dean and I had put on a brave face, I was still slightly weirded out by the idea that we were supposedly related, and then I thought about what she'd said about Dad and I frowned. "Talk about history repeating itself..." I said softly, thinking out loud.

"What?" Mom asked and I looked at her, slightly panicked.

"Uh, nothing. Just thinking about family. So..."

"So you and Dean aren't cousins," she said with a laugh.

"Well thank God for that!" I said, smiling broadly.

"Yes, I can imagine," she said and then she grew serious again.

"So it's true," she said softly, looking at me. "You're my... you're my daughter?"

I looked at her and nodded, biting my lip. I didn't know what to say, I couldn't lie, could I?

"How did you know?" I asked.

Mom smiled and closed her eyes, taking a moment. "Castiel," she said eventually, and suddenly a breeze caressed our faces and standing next to us was the angel in a trenchcoat.

"Oh... Jimmy," Mom said, looking at my uncle with a certain amount of sadness. "Castiel what has become of my family that my own daughter doesn't know her family history, and you're now using my brother as a vessel?"

I expected the same abrupt answer from Castiel that Dean and I always got, but he looked at her sadly and sighed.

"You weren't supposed to talk to her," he said to Mom and she grinned.

"Like I was going to listen to that!" She said, shaking her head.

Castiel turned to me. "I didn't allow you to come here to cause problems!"

"Hey, I'm not the one who told her!" I said, holding my hands up. "Seems someone on the angel talkback radio has been talking a little too much."

Castiel sighed again and looked at Mom. "We can't tell you what is to come, it could create a paradox, it is not allowed."

Mom nodded and patted him gently on the cheek, leaning up to kiss him. "Relax, Cas, I'm not here to cause problems. I just wanted to see a little bit of my daughter. You can hardly blame me..."

I smiled and nodded. Castiel turned to me. "You cannot tell her _anything." _He said, frowning at me. "It could cause many problems. A change now might result in none of you even being born, it is impossible to tell!"

I frowned, and bit my lip. "Well what the Hell are we here for then?" I asked, feeling an ache in my heart. I wanted to tell her, to protect her from the fate I knew awaited her, but it could change everything.

"It's okay Beth," she said. "I don't want to know."

"Ella," I said.

"Hmmm?"

"You always called me Ella," I said and Castiel sighed. "That's all I'm saying," I said, looking at him with a frown.

"Ella," she said with a smile. "Well at least I know what to name you," she added with a laugh and I nodded.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

By the time Samuel and Mary showed up on the Whitshire doorstep I'd already established myself as a local priest doing the rounds. I was just being shown out, getting to the door in time to see Samuel dressed as a priest. He took it all in his stride.

"Father, I see you beat me here," he said, looking at me.

"The Lord is funny that way," I said. "Beth Whitshire, this is my associate, our senior_, senior_ priest, Father Chaney."

I stepped out on to the porch to join Samuel.

"Please accept our deepest condolences on behalf of the county diocese," Samuel said and Mary handed her a cake that she was holding. Beth accepted the cake with a reserved look, she was exhausted from grief.

"Thank you," she said.

"Mrs Whitshire was just telling me all about Tom, and how _normal_ and _ordinary_ things were the day before his death," I said to Samuel.

"I see, so you didn't notice anything unusual, ma'am?" Samuel asked, looking at Mrs Whitshire.

"You mean like my husband's guts fertilizing the back 40?" She asked in a macabre manner, fighting back tears. Samuel looked at her stunned and I tried not to chuckle at him. I'd made the same mistake. I looked around and saw Beth and Grace talking to a teenage boy over by a tree.

"Excuse me," I said, patting Samuel on the shoulder and leaving him to it.

As I got closer to the little group Beth turned to acknowledge me.

"Charlie, would you like to tell the Father here what you just told me?" She asked, giving me a concerned look. The boy looked a little frightened, glancing down at the ground and then back at me.

"Dad drank sometimes," he said. "Sometimes he got rough with Mom."

"And that's when the stranger came?" Grace asked, looking at me pointedly. I found it strange seeing Beth's mother in this light and tried not to get distracted, turning my attention to the boy.

"I just thought he was some Bible thumper, like you all. He showed up about a week ago," Charlie said.

"Saying what?" I asked.

"Did I want the beatings to stop? I just thought he was crazy, I didn't think – and the next thing I know, Dad's dead. Am I going to jail?"

"You didn't do this Charlie," Beth said quickly, patting him on the arm.

"Did the stranger want something in return?" I asked, not liking the way this story was sounding.

"He didn't want anything," Charlie insisted.

"Come on, Chuck, he wasn't just handing out freebies now, was he?" I asked with a grin, raising my eyebrow at him.

The kid shifted uncomfortably and then nodded. "He did say something about comin' a callin' ten years from now. Maybe he'd want something then."

"Something like what?" Grace asked.

"I don't know, okay? Look, I told you he was nuts," he said. I glanced at Beth and she took my arm, leading me away. Grace stayed to talk to the boy while I turned to look down at Beth.

"What do you think?" She asked, but it was clear in her eyes what her conclusions were.

"I think he just pimped his soul to a demon and he doesn't even know it," I answered and Beth nodded.

"Yeah, me too," she said sadly. We walked back to Charlie and Grace and I looked at the kid with a sadness.

"Charlie, do you remember what this stranger looked like?" Beth asked.

"Yeah, he was about 5'10, white, normal looking guy," he answered.

"Anything else?" Grace asked.

"There was one thing," he said, looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

"It's just, the light hit his eyes in a weird way and...for a moment I coulda sworn..."

"What? That they were black? Or red maybe?" I asked.

Charlie shook his head. "No, they were yellow. Pale yellow."

I glanced over at Beth and I paled at the thought. The Yellow-Eyed Demon, here, in Lawrence, now? She was wearing the same facial expression I was, but I think she recovered a little quicker, thanking Charlie for his time and then taking my arm and walking away.

"What is it?" Grace asked, and Beth glanced at her, frowning.

"You know what Castiel was saying? This might be one of those things we're not allowed to talk about," Beth said and I stopped to look at them.

"Cas was here?" I asked and Beth nodded. "Well where the Hell is he now? We could use a little help!"

"I get the impression we're kind of on our own here, I had to beg him to even bring me along for the ride," Beth said and I sighed. _Great. Just great._

* * *

_**Campbell House**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean slammed a map down on the dining room table and I jumped, looking up from the kitchen where I was talking to Deanna who was chopping bananas. I was starting to get a little worried for him.

Samuel walked into the dining room, staring at Dean. "What do you say we just slow down and talk this thing through?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Dean said, looking at the map.

"Except you're saying it's a demon, and none of us has ever heard of a demon with yellow eyes," he countered, looking sceptically at Dean.

"Yeah, well I have. This thing killed my family," Dean said, looking up at me.

"Just calm down, son," Samuel said.

"You don't get it, do you? You are in danger, we are all in danger. In fact, you need to get yourself someplace safe," he said as I walked into the dining room and lay a hand on his arm, trying to calm him down.

"Not until we know what we're dealing with here," Samuel said. Deanna came into the room carrying the fruit salad she'd been making.

"Sam's right, Dean, it could be a demon, it could be a shapeshifter, it could be any number of things," she said.

"I know what this thing is!" Dean snapped and she rolled her eyes at him, walking back into the kitchen. "And I'm gonna kill it, that's all the talking I need to do."

"You're gonna kill a demon? How?" Samuel asked, a sceptical look on his face.

"There's a hunter named Daniel Elkins. He lives in Colorado, he has Colt's gun. _The _Colt," Dean said, looking at me and I nodded.

"Yeah, I heard about the Colt, used to tell it to Mary as a bedtime story," Samuel said.

"Well, it's real," I said, starting to think Dean might be on to something. "You really think this will work?" I asked, looking at him.

"Yeah... yeah I think it might," Dean said, looking at me a little hopefully. I swallowed and nodded, Castiel's warning in the back of my head. If we changed things, what would happen, what if we managed to kill the demon before it killed Mary?

Samuel looked at Deanna and then back at us. They clearly didn't know what to think about what we were saying.

"All right, say this is true. You got some kind of crystal ball telling you where this demon's gonna be?" Samuel asked.

I nodded, pulling out John's journal. "Yeah... maybe we do," I said, flipping it open on the table.

"What's this?" Samuel asked.

"It's a list," I said, looking for the page that Dean and I had read more than a dozen times.

"Of what?"

"My Dad wrote down anyone he thought ever came into contact with the Yellow-Eyed Demon: who, where and when," Dean said.

"Why?" Samuel questioned.

"'Cause the more he could learn about the son of a bitch, the more he could figure out why it killed my Mom," Dean answered as I found the entry we were talking about.

"Look, Whitshire Farm," I said, pointing to John's handwriting. "I told you that name sounded familiar."

"Whitshire Farms, that was two days ago. How the hell is that on your Dad's list?" Samuel asked and I raised an eyebrow at Dean.

"Uh... my Dad could see the future," Dean said quickly. "Look at this, it says he's gonna hit here tomorrow night."

"Liddy Walsh?" Samuel asked, frowning.

"Haleyville, that's close," Dean said, looking at him.

"I mean, yeah, it's about three miles, but..." Samuel stopped, looking over at Deanna and she shook her head slightly in disbelief, then he looked back at us, clearly in agreement: they didn't believe us.

"I know, you guys think we're crazy," Dean said.

"You seem like really nice kids, Dean, but yeah, you're both crazy," Samuel said with a nod.

"Yeah, maybe," Dean said, looking at me. "But I know where this bastard's gonna be, and I'm gonna stop it, once and for all," he said determined. He grabbed the journal and walked out of the room, leaving me standing there. I sighed, and shrugged.

"You need to reign him in Beth, before he gets himself, or worse – you, hurt," Samuel said, looking at me with concern.

I sighed again and looked toward the front door where Dean had walked out.

"Well there's not much on this earth that can do that once he sets his mind to something," I said, shaking my head. "But I'll try, it's just..."

"Just?" Deanna asked.

"I'm kind of in agreement with him on this one," I said quietly, shrugging and walking toward the door.

Dean was leaning against the porch railing when I came out and he turned to look at me.

"You're with me on this, right?" He asked, and I smiled, walking over to him. I took his hand, sliding his wedding ring off my own and back on to his finger.

"For better or worse," I said, kissing the palm of his hand. I moved my hand to his chest and then leaned in to him, my forehead pressed against his shoulder.

"But...?" He asked, sliding his hands around my waist.

"But... Castiel said I wasn't allowed to tell Mom about what happens to her, and to Dad. That it might change the course of history. How is this any different?" I asked, looking up at Dean.

"Well he also said I had to stop it, and if he didn't mean this, then what the hell did he mean?" Dean asked and I shrugged, I had no answer for that.

"I don't know, but I'm a little scared Dean," I said.

"Once we have the Colt, we'll be fine," he said confidently.

"That's not what I'm scared of," I said softly, looking down at my hand again.

"Then what?"

I sighed. "Well, I mean, our whole lives are kind of built on the foundation that Dad started hunting...Dean... what if he never had a reason to? What if you grew up normal?"

"You mean what if we never saved you from that demon?" Dean asked, frowning. I nodded, not wanting to voice such a selfish thought.

Dean sighed and pulled me into him. "We'd grow up in the same town, Beth. Go to the same school... and I'm not likely to let you get away... even if your Dad did move you to Wisconsin for whatever reason," he said, lifting my chin. "I'm always, _always _gonna come for you, okay?"

I bit my lip, not entirely convinced. But at the end of the day, wasn't it more important that he and Sam were safe? I'd been willing to sell my soul to ensure that, why was it now that I was faced with never having known him that I baulked? I stroked my hand along his familiar face, taking in those eyes, the concerned furrowing of his brow.

"So... Colorado?" I asked, and he nodded, letting out a sigh of relief.

"God I'm glad your mother cleared up that little family history issue," he said, leaning in to kiss me. "That was just plain...weird," he added and I laughed, nodding. "Come on, let's go."

"Go?" Mary asked, stepping out on to the porch and looking at us.

"Yeah," Dean said, shrugging. "We're shoving off, was just about to come say bye."

"Really?" Mary asked, looking surprised. "So soon?"

"Yeah – job to do," Dean said with a nod. "Hey, I wanted to – to tell you, you know for what it's worth. Um... it doesn't matter what your Dad thinks, I like that John kid." I smiled, nodding my agreement and Mary smiled.

"You do?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I think you two are meant to be," he said, looking down at me as he pulled me a little closer. "Hell I'm depending on it," he said a little softer and I snickered.

"What?" Mary asked, not really understanding the last comment.

"Nothing," I said, shaking my head. "Hey, um, can I ask you a question?" Mary nodded at me, looking curious.

"What's he like? John?" I asked.

"Why do you ask?"

I shrugged, putting my arm around Dean's waist. "Just curious."

Mary looked a little dumbfounded, shrugging and smiling at the same time. "I don't know. He's sweet, kind. Even after the war, after _everything_, he still believes in happily ever after, you know? He's everything a hunter isn't..." she said, then looked at us. "No offence."

"No, none taken," I said, shaking my head.

"Can I tell you guys something?" Mary asked. We nodded at her.

"He's gonna ask me to marry him. Tomorrow, I think!" She said, looking excited and giddy.

"Yeah?" Dean asked, with a smile, looking down at me.

"Oh, Dad's gonna explode!" She said smiling. "But I don't care, I'll run away if I have to, I just... I love John, and..."

"And what?" Dean asked.

"I wanna get out," Mary said. "This job, this life, I hate it. I want a family, I wanna be safe." Dean's arm tightened around my waist, I felt him stiffen a little at the statement. "You know the worst thing I can think of? The very worst thing? Is for my children to be raised into this, like I was. Like Patrick was. I can't stop Patrick from doing it, but me? No, I won't let it happen," she finished.

Dean shook his head, blinking back tears as he glanced down at me and I squeezed him a little, smiling sadly at him.

"Yeah..." he said, nodding and running a hand across his mouth.

"Hey, are you okay?" Mary asked, seeing Dean's discomfort.

"Yeah, no, I'm – I'm fine," Dean said, nodding. "Hey, uh, Mary, can I tell you something?"

"Sure," she said with a nod.

"Even if this sounds really weird. Will you promise me that you will remember?" Dean asked. I frowned, looking up at Dean.

"Dean..." I said warningly, recalling Castiel's caution. Dean shook his head at me.

"On November 2nd, 1983, don't get out of bed," he said to Mary and I sighed softly, shaking my head. He fought back tears and I felt my own welling in my eyes. "No matter what you hear, or what you see. Promise me you won't get out of bed."

Mary smiled at him, a look of concern on her face. "Okay..." she said softly and I watched him wipe a tear from his cheek as he turned, taking my hand and walking toward the door. We left without another word, Dean visibly shaken and upset by what he'd just heard from Mary.

I slipped my arm around his waist again as we walked down the street toward the car we'd been using.

"Hey," I said, looking at him. "You okay?"

He paused, pulling me to face him, shaking his head. "No, not really," he said. "You heard what she said... her worst nightmare is for me and Sam... for us to be raised as hunters..."

"Yeah, I know," I said softly, raising my hand to cup his cheek. "Dean, things happen. I'm sure my parents didn't want this either, but … life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."

Dean sighed. "She'd be proud of who you are Dean, you're strong, you're loving, you look after your family and other people, you're everything she is," I said, smiling at him.

He sniffed back another tear, the corner of his mouth tugging up a little as he leaned his forehead to mine and took a deep breath. "Beth, I promise you, when we get through this... and the time is right... we're gonna get out, okay?" I frowned, pulling back just enough to stare into his eyes.

"What are you saying?"

"You, me, we're gonna go find somewhere to settle down and we'll have a family, and we'll... we won't make the same mistakes Dad made, okay?" He said and I nodded.

"Yeah, yeah sure Dean, whatever you want to do," I said softly, feeling worried for him.

"I just want to be with you, I feel like I've spent a lifetime apart from you and I want to spend the rest of my life making that up to you," he said. I sighed, kissing him and nodding.

"Okay," I said, smiling. "Let's just... let's get through the next few days and see where we land, huh?" I didn't want to voice my fears again. That if we managed to kill this yellow-eyed bastard we ran the very likely chance of not even being married, of not even knowing each other. I had him now, and that's what mattered, the future could wait.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

Beth was asleep, leaning against my shoulder as I drove the long stretch of highway to Colorado. I glanced down at her and she shifted in her sleep, smiling. I looked up at the highway again and heard her mutter in her sleep about Castiel and when I glanced at her again the damned angel was sitting on the other side of her. It was getting more than a little crowded in here.

I took in a sharp breath and looked at him. "So what? God's my co-pilot, is that it?" I asked, chuckling internally at the pun. Castiel just looked at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Well, you're a regular Chatty Cathy," I said, looking back to the road. "Tell me something. Sam would have wanted in on this, why not bring him back?"

"You had to do this alone, Dean," Castiel said and I glanced down at Beth in my arms. Castiel noticed the look and turned to the highway. "She put forward a very convincing case," he added and I snorted. I bet she had.

"And you don't care that Sam's tearing up the future looking for us right now?" I asked.

"Sam's not looking for you," Castiel said and I found that a little surprising.

"All right, if I do this, then the family curse breaks, right? Mom and Dad live happily ever after, and – and, Sam and I grow up playing little league and chasing tail?" I asked.

"You realise, if you do alter the future, your father, you, Sam – you'll never become hunters. And all those people you saved, they'll die," Castiel said.

"I realise," I said, swallowing. I'd done nothing but think about that since Beth had fallen asleep.

"And you don't care?"

"Oh, I care. I care a lot, but these are my parents. I'm not gonna let them die again. I can't. No, not if I can stop it," I said.

"And what about Beth? Have you asked her how she feels about this? What do you think will happen if you're not there when the demon comes visiting her father?" Castiel asked. I shifted slightly, looking down at the woman sleeping soundly on my shoulder.

"Well I'll uh... maybe … well maybe that won't happen either," I said stubbornly. Castiel just looked at me. "She wants me to do this, she doesn't want to see Sam raised into this life anymore than I do. Besides, apparently we have a connection, a bond... that's gotta be strong enough to get us through something as simple as a change in history," I said. I had to believe that, or I wasn't going to go through with this.

"Right?" I asked, but when I looked back at where the angel had been sitting, he'd vanished. I sighed. _Great, just great._

By the time dawn hit we were in Colorado at Elkins' cottage, the same one we'd found smashed up years ago. I was kneeling in front of the safe, pulling out the Colt when I felt the prickle in the back of my spine that told me someone had a gun pointed at me. I turned to find Elkins with a shotgun pointed at me.

"Hold it right there, friend. Drop the gun, be on your way," he said. I made like I was going to lay the Colt down but at the last second I pointed it at Elkins, spinning to face him.

"Can't do it, Daniel," I said with an apologetic look.

"Who the Hell are you?" He asked.

"We're hunters," Beth said, coming up behind him with a sidearm pointed at him. "Just like yourself." He froze, lowering his gun slightly and glancing warily at her.

"Thieves is more like it," he said.

"We just need it for a few days," I said to him.

"Not happening, mister," he said and he stubbornly raised the gun to me again.

"Look," I said, exasperated. "I have a chance to save my family's lives. _My family. _But I need this gun to do it." Elkins frowned and I decided to push it, nodding to Beth to lower her gun, which she did, stepping away from Elkins. He turned his back to the wall where he could watch us both. "So if you want to stop us? Kill us," I said, lowering the Colt and walking toward Beth, placing her behind me as I backed us toward the door past Daniel.

Elkins hesitated and then lowered his gun, looking at us conflicted.

"There's some hunters in Lawrence, the Campbells," I said.

"Never heard of them," He answered.

"That's where she'll be," I said and he nodded at me.

* * *

**Mary's POV**

Dad had me helping out with cleaning the guns, they were piled high on the dining room table. I wistfully stared at the wood of the table wondering what it would be like to have a dining table just for family dinners, and nothing else. I thought about John and how I might have a chance at that with him, and Dean's encouragement to pursue that – it had seemed odd coming from a hunter who was married to a hunter. But then, the way he'd looked at Beth before they left, made me wonder if perhaps he didn't want to get out of the life too.

"Dean say where he was going?" I asked Dad casually, assembling the shotgun I'd been cleaning.

"Said he was gonna kill a demon," he answered and I scoffed, shaking my head.

"Kill a demon? That's impossible," I said.

"Yep," he said with a chuckle.

"Where?"

"Uh, … oh I don't know, over in Haleyville, uh, Walsh's maybe," Dad answered and I felt my blood run cold.

"Wait, not Liddy Walsh?" I asked.

"Well, yeah, I – I – I think so," Dad said.

"Dad! She's a friend of mine! We gotta help her," I said, getting up from the table.

"What's wrong?" Mom asked, coming in from the kitchen.

"I'll be in the car," I said, and I walked toward the door.

"Hey!" Mom called out.

"I mean, she wants to hunt, she doesn't want to hunt, is this some female time of the month thing?" Dad asked Mom just before I left the house. I shook my head and walked over to the car, getting in the passenger seat.

We got to Liddy's in about ten minutes, and I could see her sitting on the couch in the living room as we raced up to the door. Dad didn't wait, just kicked in the door and ran into the living room, shooting the demon in the chest. Liddy screamed, jumping up and cringing my the lounge. The demon's eyes opened again and Dad cocked the shotgun, aiming at the man. He waved his hand and the gun flew from Dad's hands, hitting the wall, Dad soon followed the gun, and I watched as he was pinned to the wall by the demon.

"Oh! Oh God!" Liddy cried out.

"Hold that thought," said the demon as he stood up and walked toward Dad.

"You son of a bitch," Dad said as the demon leaned in to him. I took that moment to move in behind him with a knife, but he sensed me, spinning and grabbing me by the throat.

"Hello there," he said, and I broke his hold, slicing along his arm and moving back a step.

"Where the Hell have they been hiding you?" He asked.

I attacked him again, this time the demon grabbed my arm and forced the knife out of my hand. I fought back, breaking his hold on my arm and punching him. It didn't do anything, he just smiled.

"I like you. You got a lot of spunk," he said. I smirked, _I'll show you spunk. _I lashed out with a kick at him, he countered, blocking the kick and grabbing me around the throat, slamming me against a picture hanging on the wall.

"Mary!" I heard Dad yell as Dean burst into the room with a gun drawn. The demon pulled me in front of him as a shield, looking at Dean.

"Let her go!" Dean yelled.

"Where'd you get that gun?" The demon asked, looking at Dean.

Dean cocked the gun, looking me in the eyes. I knew what he was going to do and when he nodded at me, I elbowed the demon in the side, breaking away. Dean went to shoot but the demon suddenly poured out of the body it was possessing in a black cloud of smoke.

"Damn!" Dean cursed, dropping the gun to his side.

* * *

**Beth's POV**

Dean, Mary and I were standing on the front lawn waiting for Samuel to finish briefing Liddy.

"Mary, what else did he say to you?" I asked the young woman who was looking a little shell-shocked.

"I told you, just that he liked me," she answered. She looked up at me with fear in her eyes and I swallowed, nodding. "What did he mean by that?"

Dean exchanged a look with me as Samuel walked up to us.

"Liddy's a strong kind, she'll be fine," he said, oblivious to our conversation. He looked over at Mary, concern on his face. "Are you okay?"

"No, Dad. I'm pretty far from okay. Can we go?" Mary asked, turning on her heel and walking back to the truck. Samuel turned to us, looking at Dean.

"Nice job in there," he said, but Dean shook his head, obviously angry with himself.

"I missed the shot," he said.

"Take the compliment, son. I'm saying that I was wrong about you," Samuel said. Dean glanced at me and then toward Mary who was in the truck. He turned to Samuel.

"We need to talk, alone," he said, taking my arm and leading me to the car we were using. Samuel stared after us, obviously confused.

* * *

_**Campbell's House**_

**Beth's POV**

When we got to the Campbell House Dean led the way into the living room, nodding for me to follow. Samuel joined us, sitting at the dining table. Mary had disappeared upstairs, and so Dean took the moment to have that conversation with Samuel.

"We have to kill this thing now, or Mary dies," he said. Samuel looked up at him, surprised.

"What? How do you know that?" He asked, looking from Dean to me.

Dean pulled out John's journal and looked at his grandfather. "I just do, okay?"

"When?" He asked.

"I don't know, maybe today, probably years from now, but it's happening, trust me," Dean said.

"So what, are you some kind of psychic now too?" Samuel asked sceptically.

"No," Dean said, looking up at Samuel and then at me. He looked hard at Samuel and then frowned, moving toward the table and sitting down. "All right listen to me. Now this is gonna sound a little..."

"Dean!" I said, shaking my head.

"No," he said to me. "No he needs to know," he turned back to Samuel, sighing. "Actually it's gonna sound massively, massively crazy," he said.

"Okay," Samuel said, glancing from me to Dean.

"Mary is my mother," Dean said and I cringed, rubbing my forehead with my hand. I just hoped Castiel wasn't listening in right now.

"Excuse me?" Samuel asked incredulously.

"And I am your grandson, and I know what the hell I'm talking about," Dean said. Samuel stared at him in disbelief.

"You wanna run that by me again, son?" He asked.

"My real name is Dean Winchester. I was born January 24th, 1979. My parents are Mary and John Winchester," he said, looking at Samuel.

"I don't have to listen to his," Samuel said, and I sighed, walking behind Dean and putting my hands on his shoulders, squeezing them.

"Mary gets killed by a yellow-eyed demon in 1983, and we think that this – what happened tonight – we think this is the moment he caught her scent," I said, looking at Samuel sternly. He stopped and looked back at me, hesitating.

"Right," Dean said, nodding. "Now, if we don't catch this thing now, and kill it, and it gets away? Then Mary dies. So I am asking you, please."

Samuel looked at us sceptically, shaking his head. "How did I know about the Colt?" Dean asked. "Huh? How did I know about the Yellow-Eyed Demon? Or where it would be? We're not making this up, Samuel."

"And are you really his wife, or are you some long lost granddaughter?" Samuel asked me, frowning.

"Uh, wife, but you do know my parents," I said cryptically. He looked curiously at me before turning back to Dean and shaking his head.

"Every bone in my body is aching to put you six feet under, but there's something about you – I can't shake it. Now, I may be crazier than you, son, but I believe you." I sighed with relief, squeezing Dean's shoulders.

"Thank you," Dean said, his shoulders sagging as he relaxed.

"How do we find this bastard?" Samuel asked. Dean opened John's journal, flipping the pages.

"Right here, the list," he said.

"And with the Colt?" Samuel asked. Dean pulled the gun out of his jacket and put it on the table.

"Yeah," he said with a nod.

"Here, let me see it," Samuel said and I felt a Dean stiffen, sliding the gun away from Samuel.

"Sorry, I don't let anybody hold it," he said.

"I'm your grandfather," he said and I looked at him, feeling suspicious. We'd heard that before from John.

"Nothing personal," Dean said as I moved away slightly, giving Dean space to move if needed, something didn't feel right.

"Sure it is," Samuel said, "especially when it's me you're trying to kill," he said, his eyes turning yellow. I gasped as Dean's chair slid across the room, hitting the wall, and the Colt fell to the floor, knocked by Dean's arm. I dove for the gun, but didn't get there. I felt myself hit the wall with Dean, pinned beside him.

"Future boy and girl, huh?" the Yellow-Eyed Demon asked, walking over in Samuel's body and looking curiously at us.

"I only know one thing that's got the juice to swing something like that. You must have friends in high places," he said. "So I kill your Mommy? That's why you came all this way? To see little old me?"

"Oh, I came here to kill you," Dean said with a glare.

"Hey, wait a minute, if that slut Mary's your Mommy, are you... are you one of my psychic kids?" He leaned in and sniffed at Dean, pulling back.

"No, not you. Maybe you got a sis, _or a bro_. We've established she's not your sister, so they must be elsewhere... that's terrific, means it all worked out. After all, it's why I'm here," he said with a smile.

"So that's what this is about, these deals you're making," I said. "You don't want these people's souls..."

"No, I just want their children. I'm here to choose the perfect parents, like his Mommy... and maybe yours," he said, coming in closer, this time sniffing me. He stopped, staring at me and then backed away. "Interesting, you're something else indeed. Who do you belong to? I wouldn't mind making a deal with your mommy..."

"Leave her alone," Dean said angrily, fighting against the invisible restraints the demon had applied to us.

"Why Mary? Why any of them?" I asked, glaring at the demon.

"Because they're strong," he said. "They're pure, and they eat their Wheaties. My own little master race – they're ideal breeders." Dean frowned and the demon laughed.

"Oh get your mind out of the gutter. No one's breeding with me. Though, Mary? Man, I'd like to make an exception. So far, she's my favourite," the demon said and Dean looked furiously at him, struggling but unable to move. He looked behind Samuel and I followed his gaze, seeing Deanna watching us from the kitchen.

"So why make the deals?" Dean asked, trying to distract him.

"I need permission," he answered simply. I swallowed, watching as Deanna peeked around the wall dividing the kitchen from the dining room and came quietly into the room. "I need to be invited, into their houses. I know, I know, the – the red tape'll drive you nuts, but in ten short years, it'll all be worth it. 'Cause you know what I'm gonna do to your sibling? I'm gonna stand over their crib and I'm gonna bleed into their mouth. Demon blood is better than Ovaltine, vitamins, minerals – it makes you big and strong."

"For what? So they can lead your discount demon army? Is that your big plan?" Dean asked, looking at him with disgust.

"Please," the demon scoffed, looking at Dean. "My end game's a hell of a lot bigger than that kid," he said.

'End game?" I asked. "What end game?"

"Like I'm gonna tell you, or those angels sitting on_ your _shoulder," he said, looking pointedly at me. "No, I'm gonna cover my tracks good."

"You can cover whatever the hell you want, but I'm still gonna kill you," Dean said.

"Right. Now that, I'd like to see," he said with a snicker and I smirked.

"Maybe not today, but you look into my eyes, you _son of a bitch_, 'cause I'm the one that kills you," Dean said. The demon hesitated and then laughed.

"So you're gonna save everybody, is that right? Is that it?" The demon asked. "Well, I'll tell you one person that you're not gonna save..." he took a knife and I gasped with shock as it plunged into my stomach, warm blood seeping out over his hands.

"No!" Dean yelled, fighting against the demon's hold.

"Your beautiful wife... and just for good measure, your grandpappy!" I fell to the floor with a searing pain as the demon turned the knife on himself, stabbing into his gut.

"No!" Deanna yelled as the knife sliced into Samuel's stomach. The demon turned, noticing her for the first time and flung out his hand, sending her flying through the air and crashing into a table. Dean struggled to get free as I felt myself slipping from consciousness and the demon stalked after Deanna while she tried to crawl away. There was the sound of a shout from Deanna and then Dean broke free, running for the Colt, chasing after the demon. He stopped in the doorway to the kitchen, cursing and then running back to me.

"Beth... Beth!"

"Go," I said, shaking my head. "Kill him."

"No, I'm not leaving you," he said and I looked at him, feeling weak. His eyes filled with tears and he grasped my face, looking in my eyes.

"Castiel!" He said angrily and there was a breeze as suddenly the angel was standing beside us. "Do something!" He said, looking at the angel.

"You must go, Dean, this isn't over," Castiel said, looking at us both.

"Not until you heal her," Dean said, shaking his head. "And Deanna."

Castiel sighed and pulled Dean to his feet. "You have to go," he said. "I will do what I can," he said.

"If she dies, I will come and kill you myself for bringing her here, you hear me?!" Dean threatened, and he looked down at me, conflicted. He knelt down, kissing me quickly and I smiled, reaching out to stroke his face.

"I'll be okay, you need to go Dean," I said and he nodded, turning and running out the door.

I looked up at Castiel, feeling myself turn cold. "This is it, isn't it?" I asked, and he sighed, reaching out to touch my forehead.

"I'm sorry Beth," he said, and I felt a blinding white light claim me.

* * *

**Mary's POV**

I'd run off with John as soon as we got back, climbing out my window and down the gutter. It couldn't take this anymore, that Demon, whoever it was, it hadn't felt good the way he looked at me, and I knew, I just knew I had to get away.

John had pulled over by the lake and he was looking at me nervously. "I uh, guess it's no secret why I brought you all the way out here..." he said.

"John..." I said, looking at him.

"I just – just let me get through this, okay?" John asked, and I frowned.

"Okay, wait. There's things you don't know about me, John," I said, ready to confess everything and run the risk of losing him.

"So?" John asked, he pulled a ring box out of his pocket, opening it and showing it to me. "I will always love you for exactly who you are," he said. I felt my heart skip a beat and then there was a banging on the window next to me.

"What did I tell you?!" Dad said, looking in at us.

"Dad!"

"Sir, just listen!" John said, but Dad yanked the door open, pulling me out of the car. John got out the other side, coming around to confront him.

"Ow! Dad! You're hurting me!" I said, struggling against his grip on my arm. He pulled me away from the car as John chased us, trying to break Dad's hold on me.

"Hey, take it easy!" John said. Dad spun on him, letting me go and grabbing John's head, wrenching it sideways and there was the unmistakable sound of a neck breaking as John fell to the ground dead.

"No!" I yelled, falling to my knees beside him, holding his head in my lap as Dad kicked his legs.

"You killed him!" I said, looking up at the man who was supposed to be my family watching as his eyes turned yellow.

"Oh, not just John, sweetie-pie. Mommy and Daddy too," he said to me, unzipping his jacket where I saw a fatal stab wound in his stomach.

"No..." I said, shaking my head.

"Yup, afraid so. You're little orphan Mary now," he said with a smirk.

"You son of a bitch!"

"Oh, sticks and stones may break my bones, but they won't bring your family back either," he said.

"I'll kill you, I swear to God," I said, glaring at him.

"Oh, let's not get nasty," the demon said, sitting next to me. "Now look, we both said some things that we regret. Let's um... kiss and make up," he said. I felt the tears falling down my face as I looked at John, realising what a mess I was in.

"I'll tell you what, I'll arrange to have lover boy here brought back breathing," he said.

"My parents too?"

"Nope, sorry doll, that's not on the table. But, think about it, you could be done with hunting forever. The white picket fence, station wagon, couple of kids... no more monsters or fear. I'll make sure of it." It sounded way too good to be true.

"What? And all it costs is my soul?" I asked, glaring at him.

"Oh, no, you can keep your soul, I just need permission," he said, and I looked at him suspiciously.

"For what?"

"Mmm, in ten years I need to swing by your house for a little something, that's all," he said.

"For what?!" I snapped, sick of the games.

"Relax. As long as I'm not interrupted, nobody gets hurt, I promise," he said, looking at me as I hesitated. "Or, you can spend the rest of your life, desperate and alone." I sobbed, looking at John in my lap, I couldn't do it, I couldn't let him go.

"Mary? It's a good deal. So what do you say?" The demon said to me with his yellow eyes flashing.

I looked at him and nodded. He grabbed me and kissed me, I felt the bile rise in my throat as headlights hit us and Dean got out of the car.

"No!" He yelled, rushing forward with the Colt drawn. He aimed, but before he could shoot the demon left Dad's body in a rush of smoke and Dean lowered the Colt, looking at me in desperation and disappointment. I stared at him, daring him to question me, and then I looked down, seeing John come back to life.

"Mary?" John asked, looking confused.

"John..." I said, pulling him close. There was a rush of wind, and when I looked up, Dean was gone, and my Dad lay dead on the ground.

* * *

_**Present Day  
Motel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

I woke with a start, gasping for breath, I rolled over on the bed. "Beth?!" I called out when she wasn't there. I looked around and saw Castiel standing at the end of the bed. "Where's Beth?" I asked, sitting up. There was movement from the bathroom and I sighed with relief when I saw her come through the door.

"Dean!" She said with a smile, hurrying around the bed. I stood up and grabbed her, pulling her into my body and holding her tight.

"Oh, thank God," I said, even though why I was thanking God was beyond me. Beth squeezed me tight, her arms locked around my waist. I pulled back, grasping her face between my hands, looking into her eyes. "Are you okay?" She nodded, smiling.

"Yeah, I'm fine, are you?" She asked, looking at me with worried eyes.

"I couldn't stop any of it. She still made the deal," I looked over at Castiel who hadn't moved since I woke up. "She still died in the nursery, didn't she?" I asked.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You couldn't have stopped it," Cas said, refusing to look at me.

"What?!"

"Destiny can't be changed, Dean. All roads lead to the same destination," Cas said, turning to look at me.

"Then why'd you send us back?" I asked, and

"For the truth. Now you know everything we do," he said.

"What are you talking about?" Beth asked.

Castiel looked at the bed next to ours which was untouched.

"Where's Sam?" I asked Beth, and she bit her lip.

"He left earlier, right before Castiel sent us back, I've only been back about twenty minutes myself," she said to me and I frowned, looking at the angel.

"We know what Azazel did to your brother. What we don't know is why – what his endgame is. He went to great lengths to cover that up," Cas said.

"Where's Sam?" I asked again, sick of the roundabout answers.

"425 Waterman," Cas said, looking at us. Beth nodding, moving toward the door and grabbing the keys. I grabbed my jacket and followed, stopping as Cas spoke again.

"Your brother is headed down a dangerous path, and we're not sure where it leads," he said, following us with his eyes. "So stop it. Or we will," he said in a tone that was a promise, not a threat. Beth swallowed, looking at me, and I sighed, nodding.

"Let's go," I said to her, opening the door. It was time to see just what our little brother was up to in the dead of the night.

~To Be Continued~

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

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Song for this chapter is: _This is now _by Hatebreed

* * *

Metamorphosis is up next, and then maybe an original piece if I get inspired. Would like to explore Cas and Beth's relationship a little more at some point, so might delve into that. If there's something you'd like to see, let me know :)

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Don't forget there's a Facebook page where I post different fan art and update info about the stories as I'm working on them and other SPN sort of things there. Just search for Dean & Beth – Supernatural Fanfic and it should come up or PM me your email address for the link.

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Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the foray into the past. Please leave a review, they totally make my day!


	8. Metamorphosis

_**Author's Notes: **__I apologise in advance if you happen to be a Travis fan. Clearly I'm not :)_

_Trigger alerts: underage sexual assault, attempted rape _

* * *

_Oh, dig my shallow grave_  
_It's not me you'll save_  
_'Cause I'm a lost cause_  
_I'm a lost cause_  
_A lost, lost cause_

_Wait, all this time that I have spent away_  
_Makes me think that I might be okay,_  
_The kiss of death will have to wait_  
_My head, is holding on to all those things you said_  
_You taught me to be strong and get through it, the mist of darkness_  
_In my head_

* * *

**METAMORPHOSIS**

* * *

_**Abandoned Warehouse  
**__**Albuquerque, New Mexico**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean and I crouched by the window of the warehouse that was located at the address Cas had given us. There was a man tied to a chair in the centre of a Devil's Trap. Sam and the dark haired girl I'd now seen twice were there in front of him. I glanced at Dean who was frowning, listening through the broken window.

"Where's Lilith?" Sam asked the demon and he smirked at our brother.

"Kiss my ass," he said, eyes turning black. Sam smiled cruelly and raised an eyebrow.

"I'd watch myself if I were you," he said to the demon.

"Why? Huh? Because you're Sam Winchester, Mr. Big Hero?" He asked. "And yet here you are, slutting around with some demon. Real hero."

"Shut your mouth," Sam said.

"Tell me about those months without your brother. About all the things you and this demon bitch do in the dark," the demon said, smirking as the girl looked at Sam. I started to move, suddenly furious at Sam. I _knew _he'd been lying to me! Dean grabbed my arm and pulled me back down beside him, shaking his head and motioning with a finger to his lips for me to stay quiet.

"Huh? Tell me, hero," the demon said to Sam.

Sam looked angrily at the demon and reached out a hand, concentrating and I gasped as black smoke poured from the man's mouth. He gagged as the smoke continued to pour to the floor, sinking with a flash of fire. Sam breathed hard, trying to get himself under control. The girl looked down at the floor and then over at Sam who had moved to the man, checking his pulse and smiling up at her, obviously pleased with what he had achieved.

"How'd that feel?" She asked.

"Good," Sam answered with a smile. "No more headaches." He started to untie the man from the chair.

"None? That's good," the girl said as the man started to wake up. Dean inclined his head toward the entrance to the warehouse, taking my hand and standing up, moving silently toward the door.

"Hey, hey, I got you," Sam told the man, helping him up. "It's all right." Dean opened the door and stepped in, I followed him and Sam looked at us, surprised, letting go of the man to stand up straight.

"So...anything you want to tell me, Sam?" Dean asked, approaching our brother.

Sam looked urgently at us while the girl stood behind him, watching Dean.

"Dean, hold on, okay?" Sam said, holding out his hand. "Just let me..."

"You gonna say, 'let me explain'? You're gonna _explain this_?" Dean asked angrily. "How about this? Why don't you start with who _she is, _and what the hell is she doing here?"

"It's Ruby," I said, crossing my arms, I'd suspected she had to be around when Sam sneaked out a few times in the last few weeks, but I'd missed the demon sense when I'd seen her both times previous – I'd just thought it was nerves, or grief, or both.

"It's good to see you again Beth... Dean," she said with a smile.

Dean scowled, glaring at Sam.

"Is she right? Is that Ruby?" He asked.

Sam didn't respond and Dean looked at the girl again, the realisation sinking in that we were standing in front of a demon. Her smiled started to drop and then suddenly Dean rushed past Sam, grabbing her and pushing her up against the wall, pulling out the knife from his jacket and moving to strike. Sam reacted to the action, blocking Dean's downward swing.

"Don't!" Sam said, struggling for the knife, he disarmed Dean but the older brother got the upper hand, shoving Sam into a wall. Ruby grabbed Dean around the throat, slamming him up against another wall.

"Hey!" I yelled, rushing for her. Sam grabbed me, pinning my arms to my side.

"Ruby! Stop it!" Sam ordered the girl. I watched, struggling against Sam's hold as Ruby stared into Dean's eyes, keeping a chokehold on him – Dean stared back defiantly at her.

"Sam I swear to God... if she hurts him..." I threatened, twisting to look at our brother. Ruby let go of Dean, and he stood up straight, watching her, and then looking at Sam. I stomped on Sam's foot and he released me so I could move to Dean's side. Dean looked back at Ruby.

"Well, aren't you an obedient little bitch?" He asked.

Ruby didn't respond, staring him down and taking a step forward. I eyed off the knife in Sam's hand, calculating how hard it would be to get it off him.

"Ruby," Sam said, breathing hard and looking at her. She stared at Dean a little longer before glancing over at Sam.

"Ruby, he's hurt," Sam said, indicating the man who was now leaning heavily against a table. "Go." Ruby looked at Dean once more before turning on her heel and walking over to the man, pulling the man's arm around her shoulder to help him stand.

"Where do you think you're going?" Dean asked, watching her move.

"The ER... unless you want to go another round first," she said, her eyes flashing angry. Dean didn't respond and after a moment she walked out with the man.

Dean looked over at Sam, his facial expression saying it all. He was fed up, disappointed in Sam.

"Dean..." Sam said, his face looking panicked.

I felt myself being pulled toward the door and I struggled against Dean's grip.

"Beth," Dean said, looking at me, his expression an order in and of itself.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "No... I got something to say," I said, whirling on Sam and shoving him against the wall. "You lying, gutless piece of work, how dare you? How dare you?!" I said, glaring at him. Sam turned to look at me.

"Beth, come on, you don't understand," he said.

"Oh I understand plenty! You chose Ruby, a god damned _demon _over your own sister, over your family! And you've done nothing but lie about it ever since. You told me you'd sent her away!" I said, shoving him again.

"Yeah?!" Sam yelled at me and I was a little taken aback at the tone. "Well maybe I needed her to help me get to Lilith, to get revenge for Dean; he wouldn't have even been in Hell if it weren't for you!"

"Guys..." Dean said, but I ignored it.

"You think I don't know that Sam?!" I yelled back. "You think I don't kick myself every damn day thinking about that?"

"Hey!" Dean shouted, looking at us and we paused, turning to him. "It's nobody's fault except mine. I accept that, and you have _no right _to blame her for that," Dean said to Sam. "But this... using your psychic thing…more lies..." he said, shaking his head. "That's just..." He grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the door and away from Sam.

I knew he wasn't in the mood for playing around, we were leaving. I looked over at Sam, so many things that I wanted to say, and I bit my tongue, sighing and nodding at Dean. He walked away, guiding me to the Impala and getting in, I followed suit.

"Dean!" Sam called out, but it was ignored.

Dean sped down the highway until he came to a deserted part of the road, pulling on to the shoulder and turning to look at me.

"Tell me what he said to you, when I was in Hell," he said and I grimaced, shaking my head.

"No, no, it's not important," I said.

"Yes it is, clearly he said something that has you both biting at each other," Dean said and I bit my lip, shaking my head again.

"I can't..."

"Beth," Dean said, turning my head to face him. "Baby you gotta tell me what's going on between the two of you," he said. "Please."

I sighed, feeling the tears come to my eyes. "Dean..." He looked at me, and all I could see was the unconditional love in his eyes, the complete support for me.

"I'm not a tattletale Dean," I said, crossing my arms.

"Hey, you promised to talk to me in our vows, remember? To trust me?" He said, throwing my usual argument to him right back at me. I sighed, rolling my eyes.

"I don't know that this applies," I said with a grin, looking at him and Dean smiled, shaking his head before his face turned serious again.

"Beth, I need to know how bad this is..." he said and I nodded, a couple of tears already rolling down my face.

"He uh... it was … months ago. We argued about Ruby, I refused to go with him and then I went looking for my own solution to getting you free. I wasn't successful and I found myself back at the motel, and I walked in on Sam, and he was drunk, and so angry," I said, not sure how I was going to word this – I decided to leave out the walking in on him having sex with Ruby part, for now. Dean watched me patiently, not interrupting.

I took a deep breath and looked at him again. "He said it was my fault you were in Hell..." I said, and he nodded, he'd heard that part. "And then he said it should be me down there, instead of you. That I make you weak, that I make the whole family weak," I continued, biting my lip, the tears falling down my face. Dean looked pained, reaching out to wipe them from my face, sighing. "And... and he said Dad should have left me in Wisconsin. That I was poison..." I finished, swiping at my face.

Dean growled, pulling me over to him and holding my head to his chest, stroking my back. "I'm sorry," he said softly as I leaned into his shoulder. "But he's wrong, you're the best thing that ever happened to me – without you, I wouldn't be here, I couldn't have kept going... it's because of you that I'm even half way sane right now." I sniffed back tears, looking up into his hazel eyes.

"Everything you're going through Dean... it's all because of me," I said, biting my lip.

"And I'd do it all over again for you," he said, kissing me softly. "I'd die a hundred times over for you."

I sighed, laying my head against his shoulder. "Well, that's stupid," I said and he chuckled, kissing the top of my head and nodding.

"Yeah, but I can't change that about myself," he said. I smiled, looking up at him.

"You're not stupid," I said.

His face turned serious. "Well if I'm not, I've sure made some stupid decisions. I don't know what to do about Sam, I think we might have to let him go for a bit," he said.

"What?" I asked, surprised.

"Beth, I asked one thing of him, _one thing _and that was for him to look after you," he said, looking sadly at me. "He couldn't even do that, and he hurt you, he's running around with a demon, lying about his actions and what he's doing..." He shook his head, sighing. "I don't know what else to do..."

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

Sam was reading a book when we got back to the motel, I moved through the room, collecting our things while Beth stood by the door, watching Sam who was staring at me, ignoring her. That just made me even angrier than I already way – where did he get off treating Beth like he had?

"Dean, what are you doing?" He asked finally, looking at me. I continued to pack, putting our things into the duffels as Beth finally moved to collect toiletries from the bathroom.

"What, are you, are you guys leaving?" Sam asked as Beth dumped the toiletries in her bag, zipping it up.

"You don't need us. You and Ruby go fight demons," I said, finding it hard to even look at him. I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder and picked up Beth's, carrying it toward the door. Sam stood in my way and I stopped, looking at him.

"Hold on. Dean, come on, man," Sam said. I sighed, shaking my head. I dropped Beth's bag on the floor, letting all the anger I was feeling coming into my chest. I struck out with that rage, punching Sam in the face. He staggered back, surprised by the force that I'd just hit him with. He turned back to face me, rubbing his jaw.

"You satisfied?" He asked, almost mockingly.

I thought about it, narrowing my eyes. No. Satisfied wouldn't be the word I'd use. I punched him again, throwing my bag on the floor to join Beth's. Sam looked over at me again, touching his lip which was bleeding.

"I guess not," Sam said, raising his eyebrow.

"Do you even know how far off the reservation you've gone Sam?" Beth asked, crossing her arms as she looked at him. "How far from normal? From human?"

Sam sighed, looking at her. "I'm just exorcising demons," he said, glaring at her.

"With your mind!" I said loudly at him, he flinched at the tone in my voice, and I shook my head, not knowing what to think.

"What else can you do?" I asked, a little more softly.

"I can send them back to Hell. It only works with demons, and that's it," Sam said to me. I didn't believe him. I grabbed him by his shirt, pushing him back.

"What else can you do?" I asked. Sam hit at my hands, pushing me away and stepping back.

"I told you!"

Beth pushed in, looking up at Sam. "Yeah, because we have every reason in the world to believe that," she said. "You've done nothing but lie to us since Dean got back!"

Sam looked a little pained. "Look, I should have said something, I'm sorry, I am. But try to see the other side here," he said, looking from Beth to me.

"Other side?!" Beth scoffed. "What other side Sam? You told me you'd stopped having anything to do with Ruby. You promised me that everything you said was just 'the alcohol talking', do you know how much you hurt me? Do you know what it felt like to be _abandoned _by my own brother?!"

"Beth..."

"No I'm done; I'm done with the lies Sam. You want to fuck around with demons, be my guest, but I'm not going to stand by and watch you turn into a monster," she said, waving her hand in the air and walking away. Sam reached out for her but I wasn't about to let him manhandle her again like he had a few days ago in the motel. I grabbed his arm, shaking my head.

"No, you don't touch her again," I said roughly, putting a warning into my expression. Sam sucked in a breath and pulled back, nodding.

"Dean... I'm pulling demons out of innocent people," he tried to reason.

"Use the knife!" I said.

"The knife kills the victim! What I do, most of them survive!" Sam insisted. "Look, I've saved more people in the last few months than we save in a year."

Beth turned and glared at him. "Is that what Ruby wants you to think? Huh? Kind of like the way she's tricked you into using your powers?" Sam looked at her, shaking his head.

"Slippery slope brother," I said. "Just wait and see. Because it's gonna get darker and darker, and God knows where it ends." I narrowed my eyes, feeling sick to my stomach, what was going on with Sam? He was using his powers, gallivanting around with a demon! Where had we gone so wrong with him?

Sam looked back at me. "I'm not gonna let it go too far," he said. I smiled, shaking my head and walking away. I lashed out at a lamp on a table, sending it crashing across the room. Beth jumped, not expecting it and I felt a little guilty at using violence like that around her, especially after what I'd done to her my first night back, but I was so angry with him; I had to get it out.

"It's already gone too far, Sam," I said, turning to face him again. "If I didn't know you... I would want to hunt you," I finished, feeling the truth of it sink into my bones. Sam turned tearful eyes down to the ground.

"And so would other hunters," Beth said quietly, I was hoping that sunk in.

Sam looked up at me, nodding, tears in his eyes as he fought to control himself. "You were gone. I was here. I had to keep on fighting without you..."

"Without me?" I scoffed, looking at him. "What about Beth? What about the promise you made to me to look after my wife? Your own sister!" I yelled the last sentence and Sam flinched.

"Dean..."

"You know I've heard a lot of excuses from you Sam, and each time I come up with a reason as to why you could possibly be like this, but …" I shook my head. "It's Beth man," I said softly. "How could you treat her the way you did?"

"What is it with you Dean? It's always about Beth! Beth this, Beth that… what about me? I'm your _brother! _The pair of you… you're in this co-dependent can't-function-without-each-other relationship and you just drag me right along with you. She's not made of bloody porcelain, we argue, we disagree, _I am not you! _I don't see where it's my responsibility to pussyfoot around her feelings."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" I asked, shaking my head in amazement. "All she's ever done is help me look after you."

"I never asked you to look after me!" Sam snapped, glaring at the pair of us.

"Well too bad! Because that's the way it is! Dad made us promise, and where I'm concerned, that means something." I countered.

"Dad?! Really Dean? Where was your damn loyalty to him when you were off screwing Beth?!" Sam snapped back and saw red; I punched him again and Beth gasped, grabbing at my arm.

"You have no idea what you're talking about. How much time we wasted because of that promise to Dad. Why are you acting like some jealous little school girl over Beth? What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked.

"Nothing is wrong with me! I'm just saying it like it is, you both use me as an excuse to not face up to reality, to look at how empty your lives are if you don't have the hunt," Sam said, standing straight and gingerly touching his nose.

"Really?" Beth asked, shaking her head incredulously at him. "You're gonna go there Sam? How dare you? You have _no idea _about anything we want for our lives, the sacrifices we've made – after everything we've had taken from us, every time we think about getting out and we get sucked back in, and it's usually because of you!" I grabbed at my forehead, feeling like it was going to split in half. Beth paused, looking at me with concern.

"After everything we've had taken from us, everything we've done for you, and you want to toss us aside for a demon to go dark side?" I said finally, shaking my head. What was going on here? It was like talking to a doppelganger, this didn't sound like Sam at all.

"Ruby said she could help. And she was right. What I'm doing... it works..." Sam said.

I sucked in a breath and Beth stepped forward. "If it's so terrific, Sam, why'd you lie about it? Why didn't you just tell me when I came to you about Dean? Why didn't you tell us when we found you?" She asked. Sam looked down guiltily, having no answer.

"Why did an angel tell me to stop you?" I asked, and Sam looked up, surprised.

"What?"

"Cas said that if we don't stop you, he will," Beth said quietly while Sam appeared shocked at the statement.

"See what that means, Sam? That means that _God _doesn't want you doing this..." I said, waiting for my words to sink in. "So, are you just gonna stand there and tell us that everything is all good?"

I looked desperately at Sam, willing him to understand. He had to, he had to get it and fast because this hadn't sounded negotiable on the angel's part. Sam looked down, staring at the floor as we all fell silent. The sharp trilling of Sam's phone broke the quiet and I flinched, I still wasn't used to the sudden noises up here, it was all different compared to the pit; Beth reached out to put her hand on my arm and I quickly pulled her into me, needing to feel the weight of her against my body, reassuring myself that I still had her with me. She wrapped her arms around my waist, sliding her hands along my back and the touch calmed me.

"Hello?" Sam said quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose and looking pained.

"Hey, Travis. Yeah, hey," he said, and I felt Beth go very still in my arms. "Uh...it's good to hear your voice too, yeah. Um, look it's not really a good time right now. It's..." He paused to listen to the man on the other end of the phone.

"You okay?" I asked Beth quietly and she glanced up at me, her mind clearly a million miles away, she nodded, leaning in to me and resting her head on my shoulder.

Sam was still speaking to Travis on the phone. "Yeah, okay. Uh, well, just give me the details, and, uh..." He paused again and then nodded. "Carthage, Missouri." Sam walked over to the night stand, writing something down on the motel stationery while I squeezed Beth tight, kissing her forehead, she stroked along my back comfortingly while we watched Sam.

"Looking for Jack Montgomery," Sam said, putting down the pen and hanging up the phone. He turned to look at us and I sighed. So much for sorting out our brother, looked like we had just picked up a case.

"That was Travis," Sam said quietly.

"What did he want?" I asked.

"He has a hunt he needs help with in Missouri," he answered.

"Well give little Ruby a call and get going," I said, throwing my hand in the air. Sam sighed, looking at me with frustration.

"Dean, come on…"

"Seriously Sam, you just get through sprouting that entire BS at us and you expect us to not be pissed?" Beth asked. Sam sighed, shaking his head.

Sam didn't respond, just shaking his head.

"Let's go," I said, looking at Beth and she bit her lip. There was something going on there beneath the surface, she was nervous, but I wasn't sure what had brought it on; we'd have plenty of time to talk about it once we got on the road though.

I picked up our bags and moved toward the door, Sam was gathering up his things quickly and mercifully keeping his mouth shut. I could let him get away with a lot, but if he was going to start crapping on about Beth again, I was gonna gag him and toss him in the trunk, I'd had enough.

* * *

_**On the road to Missouri**_

**Beth's POV**

"I can't believe it. Mom? A hunter?" Sam said, looking over at Dean in shock after he'd just got through telling Sam what we'd been through in Lawrence. We'd temporarily put aside our argument for the case, although there was a fine tension hanging in the air just the same.

"I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it myself. That woman could kick some ass. I mean, she almost took me down," Dean said with a smile and I snickered, shaking my head, watching from the back seat.

"How'd she look?" Sam asked, glancing over at Dean. "I mean... was she happy?"

"Yeah," Dean said with a smile. "She was awesome. Funny and smart. So hopeful," Dean answered with a little sad look in his eyes as he glanced over at Sam. I sucked in a breath and bit my lip, she'd wanted so badly for her kids to grow up normal, and now we were battling to keep Sam on the straight and narrow.

"Dad, too. Until of course..." Dean trailed off, not saying anything further. Sam sighed.

"What?" Dean asked, glancing at him.

"Nothing," Sam said, looking out the window for a moment before turning back to Dean. "It's just, our parents. And now we find out our grandparents too? Our whole family murdered, and for what? So Yellow Eyes could get in my nursery and bleed in my mouth?"

I sat forward, frowning and Dean looked at me through the rear vision mirror before looking over at Sam.

"Sam, I never said anything about demon blood," he said carefully. Sam froze.

"You knew about that?" I asked, my mouth dropping open.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "For about a year."

Dean shook his head, looking out the windshield again, silently watching the road.

"A whole year?" I asked incredulously.

"I should have told you guys. I'm sorry," Sam said apologetically, but it was starting to sound like a broken record.

"You've been saying that a lot lately, Sam," Dean said. "But whatever. You don't want to tell us, you don't have to. It's fine." I looked at Dean; he had that stone cold look in his face he always got when he'd been pushed too far. Sam saw it too, and he started to look worried.

"Dean..." he said, looking at his brother, but Dean was focusing on the road and it was clear this conversation was over. Sam sighed. "Whatever," he said, as I sat back in my seat, pulling Dean's jacket over me and burying my nose in the leather, letting the smell calm me – I was still mad at Sam everything he'd said. It was going to be a long ride to Carthage.

* * *

_**Montgomery Residence  
**__**Carthage, Missouri **_

**Beth's POV**

Dean was staring through the binoculars at a house, watching a man moving around in his kitchen.

"Are you sure that's him?" He asked with a frown.

"Only Jack Montgomery in town," Sam said with a nod.

"And we're looking for...?"

"Travis said to keep an eye out for anything weird," he answered. Dean raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Sam.

"Weird?"

"Yeah," he answered.

"All right, well, yeah, I've seen big weird, little weird, weird with crazy on top. But this guy? I mean, come on, this guy's boring," he said, throwing his hand in the air and sighing as he leaned back against the car seat.

"I don't know Dean. Travis seemed pretty sure," Sam said as I leaned forward on the car seat, resting my arms so I could use my own binoculars, putting them to my eyes and making the adjustments necessary for me to see. Sam followed suit and I almost giggled at the thought of the three of us sitting in the Impala, binoculars glued to our eyes. Thank God it was dark.

Jack was leaning on the kitchen bench, looking around and taking a swig out of a beer bottle. He walked to the fridge, opening it and grabbing some food, eating it straight from the fridge. He reached for more food, shoving it in his face and I screwed up my nose as he searched almost frantically through the fridge. He paused, looking over his shoulder and then broke open a package of uncooked meat, starting to eat it.

"Ewww!" I said, shaking my head as he continued to shovel it down his throat, throwing looks behind him as if expecting someone to walk in on him at any moment. Suddenly he stopped eating, looking at the food in his hands, confused. We dropped out binoculars down, all glancing at each other with looks of disgust.

"I'd say that qualifies as weird," Sam said.

* * *

_**Twelve Years Ago**_

_**Houston, Texas**_

**Beth's POV**

"_Dean, you'll be staying out of school this week and helping with this hunt," John said, and I looked up feeling a little nervous. I hadn't been to school without Dean since the incident in Dallas where a group of guys had tried to pull me into the bathroom and have some fun – Dean had stopped it, and John had changed my papers to make sure that I would be included in all Dean's classes, we'd been inseparable ever since._

_Dean glanced over at me then nodded at John. "Yes sir," he said quietly, playing with the knife in his hand. "Shouldn't you keep Beth here too?" My heart skipped a little at the suggestion but it was soon dashed as I looked over at John who was shaking his head. _

"_No, we have enough with Travis to work this case, I want Beth to go to school," John said, looking through some of the police reports Travis had handed him. I stood up and walked into the bathroom, running the water in the sink to get hot so I could wet a cloth and wash my face. I felt incredibly sick at the idea of going to school on my own, which was so unlike me. I stared into the mirror starting to see just how dependent I had grown on having Dean around._

_There was a knock at the door and Dean stuck his head around the door, tossing me a smile. "Hey," he said softly and I smiled. _

"_Hey," I said, turning the water off and leaning back against the basin, facing him. "What's up?"_

"_Nothing... just checking you're okay with everything," he said with a shrug and I shrugged back at him._

"_Not like I get a choice, is it?" I asked softly and he shook his head._

"_No." _

"_Then yeah, I'm okay," I said, putting on a brave face and smiling at him. "Just don't go doing anything stupid while I'm not around to protect your ass," I said with a grin, hoping I was pulling off the nonchalant facade._

_Dean laughed and pulled me into a headlock, brushing his knuckles through my hair and messing it up as I shrieked in protest. "Who's the one who needs protecting?!" He said teasingly as I laughed and pushed at him, breaking free._

"_Don't be a prick!" I said, shaking my head at him and then running my hands through my hair._

"_Dean!" John's voice yelled from the other room. "Leave your sister alone and get in here!" Dean rolled his eyes and smiled at me. _

"_Duty calls," he said, turning back to the motel room. "Don't strain anything at school tomorrow, huh?" I gasped at the insult and threw a towel at him, but it hit the door, he was already gone._

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

Beth opened the door to the motel room and pushed it open, coming to a stop in the doorway as I ran into her.

"Babe..." I said and then I realised why she had hesitated and I smiled, slipping my arm around her waist and moving her aside to let Sam in the door.

"Travis," Sam said with a smile when he spotted the man sitting in a chair, chugging down one of our beers.

"See, Sam. Told you we should have hid the beer," I said and he snickered, shaking his head. Travis got up with a smile, moving toward us.

"Smartass. Get over here," he said, pulling me in for a hug. "Ahhh, good to see you," he said.

I pulled back and nodded. "You too."

Sam moved in to give Travis a hug and the man smiled. "Good to see you," he said again.

"You too Travis," Sam said with a smile, and then pulled away.

Travis looked over at Beth who was watching him quietly and I frowned, she'd never liked Travis, said he was a dirty old man. But she'd never said anything further about what had happened during a hunt we'd done with him over a decade ago, and I'd eventually let it go when she avoided my questioning about it.

"Hey Beth, you're looking good," Travis said, his eyes running the length of her body and I found myself seeing things in a fresh light, and it was making me uncomfortable. Beth raised an eyebrow at him and smirked.

"Better than you from the looks of things," she said, nodding at his arm which was covered in plaster.

"Yeah," Travis laughed, holding the arm out a little. "I'm a little short-handed. How about a hug?"

Beth smiled, glancing uncertainly at me. She made no move to go near him and I concurred with that, moving back to slip my hand behind her, resting it on her lower back, she leaned back into me just slightly, no one else would have even noticed.

"Hey babe, I forgot to grab the food out of the car, do you mind?" I asked, and she nodded. She turned and left the room in a hurry, and Travis watched her go with a smile before turning to Sam.

"Man, you got tall, kid," he said and we all laughed. "How long has it been?"

"Ah, gotta be ten… maybe twelve years," Sam said, shrugging.

"You still a... oh, what was it... a mathlete?" Travis asked while Sam scoffed.

"No," he said, shaking his head.

"Yep, sure is," I countered, teasing my brother.

"Been too long, boys. I mean, look at you. Grown men. Beth, all grown up. John would have been damn proud of you. Sticking together like this," he said as Beth came back into the room carrying a bag.

"Yeah," I said, glancing back at her. "Yeah, we're as thick as thieves." This time I looked at Sam whose smile was starting to fade. "Nothing more important than family," I pushed home, and saw Sam get the message.

Travis walked over to the table and I followed, taking a seat on the bed where Beth joined me, sliding her left hand across her lap to grasp my left hand and hold it. Travis glanced down and saw the wedding rings, and raised an eyebrow, turning to Sam with a smile.

"Well, sorry I'm late for the dance. Thanks for helping out an old man. Like I said, I'm a little shorthanded." Sam and I laughed with him while Beth watched silently. "So, you track down Montgomery?"

"Yeah, we found him at his home," Sam answered, taking a seat at the table with Travis.

"And?"

"Well, he had a hell of a case of the munchies, topped off with a burger he forgot to cook," I said, thinking about the scene we had just witnessed.

"That's him all right," Travis said confidently.

"What's him?" Beth asked.

"Kids, we got a rugaru on our hands," he said, looking at each of us in turn.

"A rugaru?" I asked, glancing at Sam and then Beth. "Is that made up?" I looked back at Travis. "That sounds made up."

"They're mean, nasty little suckers," Travis answered. "Rotted teeth, wormy skin, the works."

"Well, that isn't this guy," Beth said and I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm mean, he was wearing a cellphone on his belt," I agreed.

"He'll turn ugly soon enough. They start out human, for all intents and purposes," Travis said.

"So what?" Sam asked. "They go through some kind of metamorphosis?"

"Yep, like a maggot turning into a blow fly," Travis nodded. "But most of all... they're hungry."

"Hungry for what?" I asked.

"At first, for everything, but then... for long pig," he said. Sam and Beth looked a little shocked, but I didn't get it. What the heck was wrong with pig?

"Long pig?" I asked, looking at Beth.

She glanced over at me, looking a little sick. "He means human flesh."

"And that is my word of the day," I said with a raised eyebrow and she smiled at me. It was the first smile I'd seen out of her since we'd gotten here. I resolved to get to the bottom of this issue as well while we were here.

"Hunger grows in 'til they can't fight it" Travis continued, "'Til they got to take themselves a big, juicy chomp, and then it happens."

"What happens?" Sam asked.

"They transform completely, and fast," he answered, looking over at me and Beth. "One bite's all it takes. Eyes, teeth, skin; all turns. No going back either. They feed once, they're a monster forever. And our man Jack's headed there on a bullet train."

"Well, how did you find this guy if he's a walking, talking human?" Beth asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Let's just say it runs in his family," Travis answered, looking at her directly.

"You mean, uh..."

"Killed his daddy back in '78. Son of a bitch mangled eight bodies before I put him down. Guy used to be a dentist. Cadillac, trophy wife... little did I know, pregnant trophy wife. She put the boy up for adoption. By the time I found out, he was long gone, lost in the system."

"You mean to tell me you couldn't find someone?" Beth challenged, but there was a slight tremor to her hand as she held my own.

Travis sighed, his eyes softening. "I'm not sure I wanted to. The idea of hunting down some poor kid... I don't think I'd have the heart. No. I wanted to wait, make damn sure I had the right man. Apparently I do," he said, taking a swig of his beer.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean and Travis were fixing up gas cans at the table while I sat uncomfortably on the bed watching them. I saw Dean glance over at me a few times, but he was mercifully leaving me out of the preparation. He'd tried to get me to go with Sam, but that seemed worse than staying here and having to play nice with Travis.

I thought back to that hunt where we'd been going after a shapeshifter and somehow I'd found myself alone, at sixteen, with this guy who decided it was appropriate to get hands on with a friend's daughter. It had been a rough month, we'd been in Dallas when a group of guys had decided to try their luck with the new girl, pulling me into the toilets – the only reason it hadn't gone any further was because Dean had seen it happen and come to the rescue.

John hadn't even blinked an eye when I told him I didn't want to have anything to do with Travis again, he got it right away, a steely look coming to his face as he checked whether I was okay, when I'd nodded he stalked off to make a phone call. We'd never crossed paths with him again, until now, and I'd never told Dean what had happened.

"So fire, huh?" Dean asked in the silence of the room.

"The only way I found to kill these bastards; deep fry 'em," Travis answered and I shuddered.

"Well, that's gonna be… horrible," Dean said, glancing at me.

"Is that what you did to Jack's dad?" I asked, feeling a little disgusted at the thought.

Travis turned to look at me and my skin crawled. "Uh-huh," he said with a nod. Sam entered the room at that moment carrying a bunch of papers. He paused, looking at Dean and Travis and shaking his head.

"Not wasting any time, are you?" He asked.

"None to waste," Travis said, shifting his gaze from me. "The guy hulks out, we won't be finding bodies, just remains."

Sam sat down on the other bed, closer to the guys. "What if he doesn't hulk out? I did a little homework. Uh, I've been checking out the rugarus."

"What? My thirty years of experience not good enough for you?"

"What? No. No, I – I – I just wanted to be prepared. I mean, not that you didn't…"

"Sam loves research," I cut in, looking at Travis.

"He does," Dean agreed, nodding. "He keeps it under his mattress right next to his KY. It's a sickness," he said, looking over at Sam who looked a little perplexed. "It is."

"Never hurts to have more than one perspective," I said, moving to sit next to Sam and glance at the paperwork he had. I was starting to think maybe Sam was preferable to Travis right now. Sam looked a little surprised at my sudden comradeship, but went with it.

"Yeah, look, everything you said checked out, of course, but uh. I found a couple of interesting stories about people who have this rugaru gene or whatever. See, they start to turn, but they never take the final step." Sam said.

"Really?" Dean asked, looking over and Sam nodded.

"See, if they never eat human flesh, they don't fully transform," he said.

"So what? Go vegan, stay human?" Dean questioned with a thoughtful look.

"Basically. Or in this case, eat a lot of raw meat, just not…"

"Long pig," Dean said, looking pleased at his new word.

"Right," Sam said.

Dean smiled a little and I could tell he didn't like the idea of crispy frying Jack any more than I did. Travis was sitting still, watching Sam silently.

"Good on you for the due diligence, Sam," he said finally, and I heard the _but _coming as he stood up, walking past us and patting me on the shoulder as he moved to the kitchenette and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"But those are fairytales. Fact is," he continued. "Every rugaru I ever saw or heard of… took that bite."

I stood up, crossing my arms. "Yeah, well that doesn't mean that Jack will," I said, setting a challenge in my voice.

Dean watched us and then rose, coming up behind me, his hand resting at the small of my back and taking some of the papers I was holding to look through them.

"So what do we do? Sit and hope and wait for a body count?" Travis asked, raising his eyebrow at me.

"No, we can talk to him. Explain what's happening. That way he can fight it," Sam said, looking over at Travis.

"Fight it?" Travis asked sceptically and then he laughed.

"Are you kidding me? You ever been really hungry?" He asked and I felt Dean stiffen beside me as he looked up at Travis. "I mean, haven't-eaten-in-days hungry?"

"Yeah," Dean said and I looked at him, swallowing. Hell had really done a number on him, I felt sick just thinking about it.

"Yeah. Right then. So somebody slaps a big, juicy sirloin in front of you, you walking away?" I looked up at Dean who was thinking this statement over, he looked at me and then back at Travis mouthing the word 'No' and shaking his head. Travis looked justified in his argument, nodding.

"That's what we are to him now, meat on legs. I'm sorry. I'm sure he's a stand-up guy, but it's pure, base instinct. Everything in nature's gotta eat." I scoffed quietly. He'd used the _base instinct _argument on me when he'd had me pinned to the bed, sliding a hand between my legs as I'd tried frantically to think about how I was going to get away, he'd been so much stronger.

"Yeah well, some _base instincts _can be fought off, some people are just dicks," I said and Sam raised an eyebrow at me.

"You think he can stop himself just 'cause he's nice?" Travis challenged, eyes narrowing at me.

"I don't know," Sam said seriously. "But we're not gonna kill him unless he does something to get killed for." Dean looked at him, surprised and Sam took a few breaths before walking out of the room. Travis looked over at us, puzzled.

"What's up with your brother?" He asked, and Dean looked at the door, then back at Travis.

"Don't get me started," he said with a sigh, turning to look at me. "We gotta talk, alone."

Travis looked a little surprised at this as Dean guided me toward the door.

"Look, we have work to do here guys," he said, standing up.

"It'll wait until we're done," Dean said, not stopping to listen to any arguments.

I followed Dean out to a small garden near the side of the motel and he sat on a bench, pulling me down beside him.

"You want to tell me what's going on with Travis?" He asked and I sucked in a breath, looking at my hands. "Okay, I might have said I was stupid earlier, but I'm not that stupid. Something happened back when we were kids that much I can tell… did Dad know?"

I nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, sounding a little hurt.

"Because Dad took care of it, and promised I'd never have to deal with him again," I said, biting my lip.

"You still should have told me," he said softly.

"I just… I didn't want to upset you. We'd just had that whole thing go down in Dallas with the school, and … well it was my fault." I said.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, frowning and taking my hands in his own. "Look, just start at the beginning. We were where? Houston?" I nodded, sighing.

"Yeah, Dad pulled you out of school for the week to go hunt that shapeshifter, and I was missing you," I said, and he smiled, brushing a hand along my cheek. "So I ditched school early, coming back to the motel, only you weren't there, you'd gone out with Dad."

"But Travis was there?" He asked. I nodded.

* * *

**Twelve Years Ago – Houston, Texas**

_It had been four days since I'd spent any real time with Dean. I didn't like being on my own in the new school. It had only been a month since we'd been in Dallas and I hadn't been apart from Dean during that time, I'd come to rely on him, he was like a security blanket and I only felt safe when he was around. _

_I rushed through the motel room door, expecting to see him there only to find the room empty except for John's friend Travis who had been the one to initiate the hunt for the shapeshifter John had been after all week. _

"_Oh hi Beth," he said casually to me, leaning over some maps on the table._

"_Hi," I said, hesitating and then throwing my bag on the bed I'd been sharing with Sam. "Where is everyone?" I asked. He shrugged and looked up at me._

"_Uhhh, John and Dean had to go out for some supplies," he said. "They'll be back in a bit." I nodded, feeling a little disappointed that I'd ditched school for nothing. Sam wouldn't be back for hours, now I was stuck here more or less on my own._

"_I'm cross referencing some maps with the city layout if you'd like to help?" Travis said and I smiled, nodding. _

"_Sure, that sounds interesting," I said, crossing to the table. He smiled and showed me the blueprints for the sewers, laying them under a map of the city which he'd had copied on to a thin paper so we could see through it._

"_See how the different buildings where we've had the victims show up connect to the different access points to the sewers?" He asked, pointing along a particular sewer line. _

"_Yeah, hey that's cool," I said eagerly, leaning in to look closer. He smiled and patted me on the shoulder._

"_Good, good… you're very smart Beth," he said, his hand trailed down my arm and back to the map. I looked at him, feeling a little uncomfortable with the stare he was giving me._

"_Uh, thanks," I said, standing up again. "So, I'm just gonna go study…" I said, and he nodded, turning back to the maps. I shook my head, pulling a book Bobby had given me on magical sigils out of my duffel and laying back on the bed, opening to where I'd last been reading. _

_I quickly lost myself in the book, so much so that I didn't feel the slight depression on the mattress as Travis sat down next to me until he spoke._

"_So what are you reading?" He asked, and I startled, looking over at him._

"_Um, just this book on sigils Bobby gave me," I said, sitting up a little._

* * *

**Present Day – Carthage, Missouri**

I looked at Dean, taking a deep breath. "I don't think you want to hear this Dean."

"Yes, I do, did he hurt you?" He asked. I closed my eyes, hurt was a relative term. Emotionally it had left me rattled and frightened. So much so that I asked Dean to sleep next to me for protection after that.

"Tell me," he said quietly and I opened my eyes, biting my lip. I moved over to sit in his lap, resting my head against his chest.

"He…he tried… he took me by surprise. He cornered me on the bed and suddenly there was just nowhere to go…"

* * *

**Twelve Years Ago – Houston, Texas**

"_Beth, how old are you?" He asked, looking at me._

"_Uh, sixteen, why?" I asked, and he smiled, reaching out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear._

"_You seem so much older," he said thoughtfully, and I felt my heart start to beat a little faster as he slid his hand down my side, leaning in to me. _

_I froze as I felt the tickle of his breath brush along my neck and then he kissed me, pulling me tightly into him and I put my hands up against his chest, the book dropping on to the floor beside the bed._

"_Relax Beth, it's all right," he said, his other hand sliding around my waist as he moved in, bringing a leg over my own to pin me._

"_What are you doing?" I asked, holding him back a little._

"_I'm just following my instincts Beth, I'm a man… you're a beautiful, beautiful young woman… and when a man has needs…" he reached down, sliding his hand up along my inner thigh and under the skirt I was wearing. _

"_Stop," I said, shaking my head._

* * *

**Present Day – Carthage, Missouri**

"Did he stop?" Dean asked, looking angry and concerned at the same time.

"What do you think?" I asked, shaking my head. He moved under me, glancing back toward the motel room.

"Tell me what else," he said finally, looking at me softly.

"I can't…" I said, shaking my head. I'd never told anyone, not John, not even Cole.

I swallowed hard, looking at Dean. He brushed hair out of my face and behind my ear, leaning in to kiss me.

"There is nothing you could tell me that would ever make me think less of you Beth," he said and I felt tears welling in my eyes.

"He slid his hand…" I moved Dean's hand in between my thighs to demonstrate, reminding myself that it was Dean, and I trusted him, and this wasn't twelve years ago. "Like this… and I froze… I just froze," I said. Dean pulled his hand out and brushed it along my cheek, kissing my forehead again.

"I didn't fight him Dean, I didn't say anything, I just let him…"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "It's not your fault."

"I know… you know I know that in my head, but it doesn't feel that way," I said, burying my face in his neck.

"Did he...?" Dean stopped, uncertain of what to ask.

I looked up into his green eyes and bit my lip. "He tried…"

* * *

**Twelve Years Ago – Houston, Texas**

"_You are so beautiful," Travis said, ignoring me and pressing me back into the pillow I was leaning against. He ground his groin against my leg and I could feel his hard arousal pressing through his jeans. "You're not going to deny my needs, are you Beth?" He asked and I felt a panic come over me as he took my wrists in one of his hands, holding them down, his leg continuing to pin mine down as he spread my legs, his fingers sliding along my skin and brushing over my underwear._

"_Oh god…" he groaned, and I felt my whole body freeze as I gasped for air, unable to catch my breath while he kissed my neck again, a finger sliding just under my underpants and pressing against me. _

"_No…" I whimpered, trying to move away from him and he pressed a little harder, his whole hand just resting against my centre, covering it as if he was claiming it for his own. _

"_You're not going to fight me Beth, you want this, you know you do...you're probably already giving it up for the Winchesters… why else would they keep you around?" Travis said, moving his body over me and pinning me under him as he ran his hands along my sides, moving to squeeze a breast as he watched me. I held my breath, looking to the door and wondering just how much longer John and Dean were going to be._

"_Oh they're not going to be back for hours," Travis said, seeing my look and my breath caught between a sob and a cry of desperation._

_I retreated into a stillness, Travis running his hands down between my legs again, taking his time. How was I going to get out of this? I was pinned, he was so heavy… I wasn't strong enough. Dean had been teaching me hand to hand combat, but I was always on my feet with at least some kind of advantage. I bit my lip; I was going to have to trick him into a disadvantage. I sucked in a short breath._

"_Wait," I said, staring up into his eyes and he paused, watching me._

"_Let me touch you," I said, feeling his grip on my hands loosen. I pulled my right arm down and ran my hand along his inner thigh, brushing it over his bulging jeans._

"_Now that's more like it… good girl," he said and I fought not to dry retch._

"_You're right," I said, staring into his eyes. _

"_I am?"_

"_Yeah… John… he likes it too," I said, trying to keep a level voice._

_Travis laughed. "That dirty dog, I knew it! No wonder he's so protective over you."_

"_Yeah," I said, licking my lips. "But you know… he says it's much better when I'm…" I stopped talking, and he looked at me._

"_What?"_

"_When I'm on top," I said, looking away shyly._

"_Oh really?" Travis said, and he sat back, looking at me thoughtfully. _

_I nodded, sitting up a little and bracing myself. I leaned in to his neck and licked his skin as I rubbed a little harder against his groin. Travis groaned and then rolled to his back, taking me with him. _

_He held my hips, thrusting up between my legs and I was just grateful he was still fully clothed. I closed my eyes and felt a hand come up behind my neck, pulling me down to kiss my lips. He held my face in his hands, and that was all I needed._

_I took advantage of the momentary freedom, wrestling was something I had done with Dean though never quite in this sort of situation. I shifted quickly once he wasn't holding me down, and brought my knee up hard into his groin. He buckled beneath me, giving me the chance I needed to break away. _

_I jumped to the floor and ran out the door, not looking back. I ran until I couldn't run any longer, eventually turning toward the school. I'd go wait for Sam; at least I wouldn't be alone. _

* * *

**Present Day – Carthage, Missouri**

I looked up at Dean and he was stewing. "I couldn't think of what to do, I panicked…" I said. "Kneeing him in the groin was the only thing I could do."

"That's my girl," he said and I smiled at the pride in his voice. "And you told Dad?"

"Not right away, I just made sure I was always with someone after that," I said. "Until the hunt was over." Dean looked thoughtful and then nodded.

"That's why you wanted to share the bed with me?" He asked and I nodded, biting my lip. "What? Sam wasn't enough protection?" He said with a grin.

I laughed, shaking my head. "No, it's always been you." I said, kissing him lightly, and he smiled softly at me.

"Why didn't you tell Dad right away?" He asked after a few moments. I shrugged.

"I don't know, I guess I was scared that maybe he wouldn't believe me… or something. I don't know." I said.

"I would have believed you," he said, and I nodded, smiling at him.

"I know. I wish I'd told you before now," I said, kissing his lips softly.

"So how do you want to play this out?" He asked, and I could see he was fighting off a very slow simmering rage beneath his cool exterior. He wanted to go and beat the life out of Travis right now, but he was holding it together because of me, because of the job.

"Just… don't leave me alone with him, and let's get this job done. But no more hunts with the guy," I said, feeling a little stronger just from having told Dean.

Dean nodded thoughtfully and then sighed. "I'm sorry baby, we should be cutting him loose right now," he said. I shrugged.

"That's the nature of the job, sometimes we work with people we don't like," I said.

"This is a little different," Dean said with a frown.

I shrugged again. "I can handle it. I don't want him to know how much he rattled me. Let's just get this job done, please."

Dean nodded with a sigh. "Okay, if you're sure?"

"I'm sure," I said, nodding. "But you know, maybe I'll break his other arm before it's over... just for good measure," I added and he chuckled, kissing my forehead.

"You're gonna have to get in line sugarpie," he said with a smile.

We went back to the motel room and Sam was pacing, waiting for us. Travis was once again preparing the flame throwers and glanced up with narrowed eyes when we walked in.

"Okay, Sam, we're going to go talk to this guy," he said and Sam looked surprised. He nodded and moved toward the door, grabbing his jacket before Dean changed his mind. I walked to the bed to pick up my own jacket when Travis reached out and took my arm in his hand.

"You're making a mistake," he said, pulling me to look at him. I froze and then there was the sound of a gun cocking and Dean was holding his gun to Travis' head.

"Let her go. Now. You touch her again you perverted freak and I won't hesitate to put a bullet through your head, understand me?" He said his voice low and threatening.

Travis swallowed, eyes widening a little as he looked from me to Dean, releasing my arm. I stepped behind Dean and he moved us away toward the door.

"Now, you called us in on this," Dean said, while Sam stared in confusion at the sudden showdown. "We're doing this our way, or not at all."

"Whatever you say, Dean. But it doesn't change things. That man is going to hulk out eventually, no amount of talking is gonna fix that, you'll see soon enough." He sat down again in the chair and scowled at us as we left.

* * *

_**Impala**_

**Dean's POV**

I didn't feel very comfortable leaving Travis alone at the motel, but at the same time, there was no way I was letting him near Beth again after that. I drove the car toward the Montgomery residence, thinking about what had to come next, bringing the job to mind, trying not to let my emotions get the better of me.

"What the Hell was that all about?" Sam asked, looking from me to Beth, who was sitting in the back seat.

"What?" I asked, deliberately being evasive.

"Dude you just held a gun to Travis' head!" Sam said. "What's going on? Beth you've been on edge since we got here, did he try something?" He turned to look at Beth who shrugged and looked out the window.

"Not exactly," I answered for her. "Look, it's a long story, and we got other things we have to focus on," I said.

Sam was looking at us confused, shaking his head. "Does this have something to do with when we were in Houston?" He asked, observant as always. I turned to him, looking into his eyes and he sucked in a breath at whatever he saw there and turned to Beth.

"I'll kill him!" Sam said. "You were sixteen! Dean… what the hell man? How is he still even alive?!"

"It's a little late to play the protective brother now, don't you think Sammy?" Beth asked, looking over at him. Sam flinched and turned back to her.

"Beth…"

"No, just drop it Sam. I'll take care of this myself, and if I can't, Dean will," she said, looking in the mirror at me. I smiled at her and nodded.

"Yeah, so let's get focused… we're gonna go have a little chat with this guy, which, you know… I'm down," I said to him, sounding a little more cooperative than I felt. I'd really just gone along with this to piss off Travis.

Sam had fallen silent, staring out the windshield with a serious look on his face.

"But I just want to make sure, if push comes, you're gonna shove," I said, looking at Sam. I'd already had this discussion with Beth, she was on board, now I just needed to know he had my back.

"Meaning?" Sam asked.

"Well, odds are we're gonna have to burn this guy alive," I said uncomfortably, hating the words even as I said them.

"This guy has a name, and a wife," Sam pointed out.

"Yeah, who we're probably gonna make a widow, okay? I mean, you heard Travis. He's gonna turn. They always turn."

"Well, maybe he won't," Sam insisted. "Maybe he can fight it off."

"And maybe he can't," Beth said from the back. "That's all he's saying."

"All right, we'll just have to see then, okay?" Sam said stubbornly.

"This is what I mean, Sam. You sure your emotions aren't getting in the way here?" I asked, pointing out the pouty look. Sam looked at me confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, nice dude, but he's got something evil inside. Something in his blood. Maybe you can relate," I pointed out, raising an eyebrow at him. Sam didn't respond, instead turning to look out the window.

"Stop the car," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"Stop the car or I will!" Sam said, glaring at me. I gauged his reaction and decided that he meant it, he wanted to get out. Beth was frowning as I pulled to the side of the road. Before I'd even come to a complete stop Sam was getting out.

"Great…" I muttered as he slammed his door, Beth and I climbed out on the other side of the car, watching as Sam rounded the front, looking at me angrily.

"You want to know why I've been lying to you guys? Because of crap like this!" He snapped.

"Like what?" I asked.

"The way you talk to me, the way you look at me, like I'm a freak!" Sam said, walking past me and then Beth before turning back around.

"I do not," I said.

"You know, or even worse, like I'm an idiot!" Sam snapped, walking up to me and getting in my face. "Like I don't know the difference between right and wrong!"

He stepped back, turning his back to me only to find himself face to face with Beth who was looking pretty unimpressed at his temper tantrum. He put his hands on his hips, watching her.

"What?"

Beth looked at the ground and when she looked up at her I could see the anger in her eyes.

"Do you know the difference Sam? I mean, you've been kind of strolling a dark road lately," she said.

"You have no idea what I'm going through," Sam said levelly. "None."

"Then why don't you enlighten us?!" I said to him and he spun around.

"I've got _demon blood _in me Dean! This disease pumping through my veins, and I can't ever rip it out or scrub it clean! I'm a whole new level of freak! And I'm just trying to take this – this curse… and make something good of it. Because I have to," he said.

I sighed, he was right, we didn't know what he was going through, but I did know a little something about taking a bad situation and just trying to make something good of it. I also knew how eventually you gave into the dark side, sometimes it took weeks, sometimes years, sometimes it took decades… but everyone broke in the end, and I had to admit to myself that deep down, I was secretly just waiting for that day when Sam was no longer Sam, praying that we could delay it for as long as possible.

I sighed, and then took a deep breath.

"Let's just go talk to the guy," I said finally, and Sam scoffed at me. "I mean Jack. Okay?" I corrected myself, looking over at Beth who nodded at me.

After a while Sam gave me a small, almost non-existent nod, but he refused to look at me, so I knew he was going to be stewing on this for a while.

* * *

_**Montgomery Residence**_

**Beth's POV**

Jack was standing in his garden with a hose in his hand, watering plants, when we arrived. He was staring into space, not moving as we walked in through the gate to the yard.

"Jack Montgomery?" Sam asked. Jack didn't respond right away, continuing to stare at the fountain he was standing in front of. Slowly, he turned to look at us, a questioning look on his face.

"I'm Sam Winchester. This is my brother Dean and sister Beth," Sam said with his big puppy dog eyes. "We need to talk."

Jack looked at Sam, and then over at Dean and I .

"About?" He asked.

"About you. About how you're changing," I said, looking at him pointedly.

"Excuse me?" Jack asked, looking confused.

"You're probably feeling your bones move under your skin. And your appetite's reaching, you know, _hungry hungry hippo _levels. How am I doing so far?" Dean asked, looking at Jack.

"Who the hell are you guys?"

"We're people who know a little something about something," Dean answered, tucking his hands into his jeans and watching Jack carefully.

"We're people who can help," Sam added. "Please, just hear us out."

Ten minutes later Jack was pacing the garden, shaking his head.

"A – a what?" He asked when we told him what he was.

"A rugaru," Dean answered. "Sounds made up, I know, but believe me, it's not."

"All right," Jack conceded. "I've noticed certain things. I mean some strange things. But I just, I – I don't know. I'm sick or something."

"Your father was one of these things," Sam said and Jack turned around to face him.

"Your real father," I said. "He passed it on to you."

"No," Jack said, shaking his head. "Are – are you guys listening to yourselves? You sound like you're..."

"Let's skip the whole 'you guys sound crazy', shall we?" Dean said. "You're hungry, Jack. You're only gonna get hungrier."

"Hungrier for?"

"Long pig," Dean said, using his newfound word of the day. "You know, a little manburger helper, may have crossed your mind already," he answered.

"No..." Jack said, shaking his head.

"It doesn't have to be like this Jack. You can fight it off," Sam said, stepping up to him.

"No."

"Others have," Sam pressed.

"We're not gonna lie to you, though," Dean said. "It's not gonna be easy. You're gonna feel like an alcoholic swimming around in whiskey. But I'm telling you. You gotta say no... or..."

"Or what?" Jack asked.

"You feed once, and it's all over. And then we'll have to stop you," Sam answered.

"Stop me?" Jack said, looking shocked. "My dad... did uh... somebody stop him?"

"Yes," I said, looking at him plainly. The truth was the only thing that was going to save him now.

"Get off my property right now. I see you guys again, I'm calling the cops," Jack said, looking from Dean to Sam.

"Jack, your wife, everybody you know, they're in danger," I said urgently, trying to get him to see sense.

"Now!" Jack shouted, and I saw a neighbour look up at the raised voice. Dean took my arm, guiding us back to the gate, Sam sighed, shaking his head.

"Good talk," Dean said, and I shook my head.

* * *

_**Apartment Building**_

**Beth's POV**

Travis was nowhere to be found when we got back to the motel room; it was a relief because I really hadn't wanted to see him again. I was feeling sick to my stomach every time I looked at him, and when he touched me... it just made my skin crawl.

We'd decided to trail Jack, and make sure that he wasn't going to do anything stupid. He had followed a girl home to her apartment, and then just sat down outside on a bench, listening to his phone. He looked up at a window and then he stood up, moving toward the fire escape.

"Dammit, Jack. No," Sam said, reaching in the back seat where I handed him one of the flame throwers, at the same handing one to Dean too. We ran for the apartment, racing up the two flights of stairs to where we'd seen him at a window. Dean and Sam both kicked at the door, smashing it and splintering the lock and the woman screamed at them as they barrelled into the apartment. She backed into the bedroom she'd been walking out of.

"Wait!" Dean called out to her, but she slammed her door shut.

"Whoa... uh, we're here to save you, I guess," Dean said, shrugging at the empty apartment and looking back at me.

"I'm calling the police!" The woman shouted through the door and I frowned. Jack was nowhere to be seen.

"We should go," I said and Sam nodded.

"Yeah," Dean agreed, moving for the door. He turned and closed it behind us, giving a little embarrassed laugh; I shook my head, the door was practically hanging off its hinges, the lock completely broken.

"What now?" I asked Dean when we reached the ground floor.

"I say we check on his wife, make sure she's okay," Dean answered, moving toward the Impala.

"Dean he didn't do anything!" Sam insisted.

"Not yet!" Dean said, shaking his head and getting behind the wheel of the car.

By the time we reached the Montgomery house it was getting really late at night. I nodded at the car on the other side of the street, recognising it.

"I guess now we know where Travis is," I said as the boys got their flame throwers in hand and exited the car.

"That stupid son of a bitch," Sam said, leading the way over to the house.

Dean took over as we reached the porch, opening the door – it was unlocked. He moved in, followed by Sam and then myself. There were signs of a struggle, a chair fallen to the ground and I started to feel sick to my stomach. We moved into the livingroom one by one, coming to a big patch of blood on the floor which had drag marks leading around the back of the couch.

Sam walked over to the couch with a sigh; Dean looked at me and shook his head, his eyes clearly telling me to be careful. He then walked over to join Sam, and I followed. There were a few pieces of meat on the carpet behind the couch.

"Oh, God. Think that's Travis?" I asked, shuddering.

Sam sighed. "What's left of him."

Dean looked at Sam and then me, before frowning down at the remains. "Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy," he said with a shrug, looking up at me again. He definitely wasn't cut up about this turn of events.

"Guess you were right about Jack," Sam said, and before Dean could respond he was tackled from behind, Jack slamming him into the ground.

"Dean!" I yelled as they hit a coffee table, and I watched in horror as Dean was knocked out. Sam moved quickly around them, holding up his flame thrower and putting his lighter to the front to light it. Jack turned, jumping Sam before he could get a flame as I scrambled across the floor for the flamethrower Dean had dropped, kicking myself for not having had one each.

Jack and Sam wrestled to the floor but clearly the creature was stronger. He got a hold of the flame thrower and smashed Sam in the back of his head, knocking him out.

"No!" I yelled, and reached the flame thrower on the floor, spinning to use it on the man, but he was fast, much faster than me. I found myself suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled over to the fallen chair we'd seen on the way in. I fought Jack, kicking at him and punching, but he was too strong. He forced my arms around the back of the chair, tying me with a phone cord, tight and painfully.

"Jack, don't do this... you don't want to do this," I said, watching in horror. He stopped, looking back at me with a hideous face. He'd begun the transformation, there was no going back.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

I came to in the closet, looking frantically around for Beth but only seeing Sam. I grabbed him, shaking him and when he didn't wake up I slapped him, hard. Sam startled awake. I moved to the door, trying to open it, but he'd locked it.

"Beth?" I called out, feeling my heart starting to race in my chest.

"_Dean!" _I heard her call out and then there was the sound of someone moving and she sounded scared. _"No... no don't..." _she fell silent.

"_Beth can't come to the phone right now," _I heard Jack say on the other side of the door and I cursed, slamming my hand against the door.

"Jack! If you hurt her, I swear to God!" I threatened, looking over at Sam.

"_Calm down!"_ Jack yelled. "_Your sister's alive," _he said a little quieter. _"But not if you... don't... calm down."_

I stilled myself, nodding and swallowing back my fears. I had to be calm, we had to get out of here and to Beth, and then we could deal with Jack.

"All right. Jack. Listen. Open the door. We can figure this out, okay?" I said, and Jack laughed.

"_We'll have ourselves a little...brainstorming session," _Jack said.

"Please," I said.

"_I don't think so," _Jack answered and I groaned in frustration. _"After what you did?"_

I looked at Sam who shrugged at me.

"What?" Sam asked. "What are you talking about?"

"_You send your friend here. He tried to burn my wife alive," _Jack said.

"What?" I asked, frowning. "Why?"

Sam started going through his pockets and I realised he was looking for a lock pick. I felt in my own pockets, but I had nothing.

"_He didn't say," _Jack answered. Sam reached out and took down a metal hanger from the clothes rack. I nodded, moving out of his way so he could get to work.

"_I guess psychopaths don't have to explain themselves," _Jack said.

"Listen to me," I said to Jack, trying to stall while Sam worked at the lock. "You gotta believe me. My brother and I... we never would have hurt her, okay?"

* * *

**Beth's POV**

Jack wasn't buying what Dean was saying, I could see it in the way he was looking around the room. He was crouching down, head moving erratically from side to side as if he was hearing things outside our normal range of hearing. Then he turned his bloody face to me and I gasped through the gag he had shoved in my mouth.

He looked at me, reaching out a finger and running it down my face, then licking the blood he found there off his finger. "Oh, God, I'm so hungry," he said, rocking back and forth.

I could hear Dean and Sam doing something at the door and I watched it, willing myself not to look into Jack's eyes.

"_Jack, don't do this," _Dean's voice sounded from the other side. _"She's not my sister, all right? She's my wife... please, don't hurt her. You gotta believe me; we would never have hurt your wife."_

I nodded, tears in my eyes. Jack stepped away from me, moving back to the closet door.

"I can't ever see my family again," he said. "You guys... your friend. You made me into this!"

* * *

**Dean's POV**

Sam was having trouble with the lock so I took over, leaning down to look at the handle as I worked the coat hanger in the lock.

"No one's making you kill us," Sam said to Jack. "Listen to me...You got this dark pit inside you. I know," Sam said, the pain in his voice evident. "Believe me, I know. But that doesn't mean you have to fall into it. You don't have to be a monster."

Jack laughed at that statement. "_Have you seen me lately?_" He asked.

"It doesn't matter what you are," Sam said while I cursed quietly at the lock. "It only matters what you do. It's your choice."

Jack fell silent on the other side of the closet and I started to panic, thinking of what he might be doing over there. I twisted at the coat hanger once more, hearing some groaning coming from the creature.

Suddenly the lock clicked and I got the door open. Sam rushed past me and I looked up to see Jack hovering over Beth who was tied to a chair and gagged.

"Jack!" Sam yelled, holding up the flame thrower. Jack whipped around and looked at us, and then it was almost as if he decided something and he launched himself at Sam. Sam flipped the lighter and the flame thrower went off, setting Jack alight. I ran toward Beth, pulling the chair away from the burning man and untying her, pulling her into my arms.

She sighing with relief, grabbing me and holding me tight as we watched Jack scream, finally falling to the floor in flames. As I looked over at Sam I saw a look of defeat cross his face, he was sad that we had failed the man; he had turned, just as Travis had said he would. There was no fairytale ending for this one.

* * *

_**12 years ago **_

_**Houston, Texas**_

**Beth's POV**

_I'd gotten sick of waiting for school to let out, but I was too scared to go anywhere else. For all I knew, Travis might come after me, I didn't know what he'd do. So I sat on the steps to the school, waiting for Sam. Suddenly a young man in a brown leather jacket caught my eye and I stood up, smiling, and then ran down the steps toward him._

"_Dean!" I called out and he spotted me, smiling as I reached him and threw my arms around his waist._

"_Well hey," he said, chuckling and hugging me back._

"_I've missed you," I said, holding on to him tight, terrified to let him go._

"_Yeah sugarpie, I've missed you too," he said with a smile, stepping back to get a look at me. "Everything okay?" He asked when I reluctantly let go._

_I sighed, wanting to tell him, fighting back tears. "Yeah," I said instead. "Yeah... I just don't like being at school on my own." _

_Dean nodded and wrapped his arm around me._

"_Well, how about we go get a milkshake or something. Sammy can get home on his own." I nodded enthusiastically and he chuckled, leading us down the street._

"_So, tell me about your day," he said, and I sucked in a breath. Could I tell him? Should I? How could I? I looked down and then up at him. _

"_Uh, long... I'm glad to be going home." I answered. He nodded and smiled. "What did you get up to?" I asked, just wanting to keep him talking a little longer._

_By the time night had fallen I was a jittery mess. Travis was pretending like nothing had happened and while John had sensed something going on with me, he hadn't asked because Travis had kept him pre-occupied on the job._

_I looked at the bed I was going to be sharing with Sam. The same one where I'd come so close to … I shook my head, wrapping my arms around myself and standing near it. Travis looked up at me and smirked, I felt my stomach crawl, what was I going to do? I went into the bathroom where Dean was brushing his teeth, closing the door behind me._

_Dean frowned when I shut the door, spitting out his toothpaste and leaning down to take a drink out of the tap, rinsing his mouth out. "You okay?" He asked. I shook my head._

"_What's wrong?"_

"_Nothing... I just... how well do you guys know Travis?" I asked quietly. Dean frowned and shrugged. _

"_Forever," He said, "Since we were kids, why?" _

"_Nothing," I said, dropping the subject. They wouldn't believe me. Maybe Dean would, but John? Travis was one of his oldest friends._

"_Can I sleep with you tonight?" I asked instead, looking at Dean. He turned to gaze curiously at me, reaching out a hand to brush along my cheek._

"_Yeah, sure, if you want. Are you sure everything's okay?" I nodded, touching his hand. _

"_It will be," I said with a smile. Dean smiled and walked out into the motel room. _

"_You're on the couch tonight Sammy, I've slept there for weeks straight, my back needs a rest," Dean said, tossing Sam's things on to the couch, not waiting for a response before he climbed into bed. I quickly brushed my teeth and then exited the bathroom too, moving to climb in to bed with Dean. _

_Sam shrugged and turned off the majority of the lights. "Get some sleep kids, big day tomorrow," John instructed, and I felt a shudder pass through me as Travis looked over at me. I curled in under Dean's arm for a moment and stared back at him, almost daring him to do something now I had protection. _

_Dean shifted on to his side, rolling to face me as I stared at him with his eyes closed. I smiled and relaxed into the pillow. Everything would be all right now; Dean wouldn't let anything happen to me._

* * *

_**Impala**_

**Beth's POV**

We were all silent as Dean rocketed the car down the highway, keen to get us away from the house. I watched him looking at Sam who was staring out the window dejectedly.

"You did the right thing, you know," Dean said finally, looking over at Sam again. "That guy was a monster, there was no going back."

Sam didn't say anything, just looked down at his hands.

"Sam, about earlier… I know I've been kind of hard on you lately," Dean said and I looked up sharply, catching Dean's eyes in the mirror and looking puzzled. Hadn't we decided we had to go hard on Sam to keep him on the straight and narrow? I looked back at Sam who had lifted his head, staring out the window again. He looked broken and I sighed, I was supposed to be looking after this man, my brother, not pulling him down.

"Don't worry about it Dean," Sam said quietly.

"It's just that your, uh, your psychic thing, it scares the crap out of me," Dean continued.

"Look, if it's all the same... I'd really rather not talk about it," Sam said, looking over at Dean, who tossed him a little smile.

"Wait a minute. What? You don't want to talk? You?" Dean said with a chuckle, clearly trying to lighten the mood. Sam didn't respond, letting out a breath and looking out the window again.

"There's nothing more to say. I can't keep explaining myself to you. I can't make you understand," he replied.

"Why don't you try?" I asked, and he glanced back at me. There was genuine remorse in the way he looked at me and I felt a little guilty at how hard I'd been on him a few days ago, but I couldn't forget the things he'd said to me. It was all right for Dean, I didn't expect him to stay mad at Sam for too long, even after all we'd been through, because at the end of the day he'd been looking after Sam since he was four, that was a hard habit to break.

"I can't," Sam said, shaking his head. "Because this thing, this blood, it's not in you guys the way it's in me. It's just something I got to deal with."

"Not alone," Dean insisted.

Sam sighed and looked out the window again, falling silent for a while.

"I'm always alone... Dean..." Sam said and Dean looked at him a little shocked. "You guys, you've always had each other, ever since we were teens, and that's great, I'm happy for you, I really am. But I've always been different, always the third wheel, the little brother who needs looking after... even before you guys were together it was still the two of you, always hanging together, always..." He stopped, looking down at his hands.

"I'm sorry I said what I did, I know it hasn't been easy on either of you with Dad, having to look after me."

"Sam..." Dean said with a sigh.

"No, it doesn't matter Dean. You guys are right, these powers... it's playing with fire. I'm done with them."

We both looked at him for a moment, contemplating this statement.

"Well, that's a relief," Dean said, a little easier to convince. "Thank you."

Sam scoffed a little at him. "Don't thank me. I'm not doing it for you. Or for the angels or for anybody else. This is my choice." Sam said adamantly.

I caught Dean looking at me again in the mirror and he tossed me a smile when Sam wasn't looking, hope in his eyes. I smiled back at him, trying to let his optimism sink in, it was Sam after all. I wanted to believe him, I really did, but I'd heard it all before. He was going to have to do a lot more than talk if he was going to convince me.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

* * *

Song for this chapter is: _Lost Cause _by Imagine Dragons

* * *

Out of curiosity, I have a small sidestory to tell between Beth and Cas, do you prefer to have these stories woven into the episodes (like this one) or stand alone? It's not likely to be long enough to be a big chapter like this on its own, but I could post it as a short chapter….just wondering what people's preferences are. I could probably get a few little updates out faster if I did them in short pieces in addition to the long ones.

* * *

As always, thank you to EarthhAngel for her beta reading and encouragement :) And thank you all for your reviews. I was away all weekend so haven't had much of a chance to reply, will attempt to get some replies in over the next few days.

* * *

Come check us out on Facebook – look for Dean & Beth – Supernatural Fanfic

* * *

Still looking for any talented video makers out there who might be willing to collaborate on a fanvid, if you're interested let me know!

* * *

Also, _Wendigo _from _Highway to Hell _has been updated a little in my (slow) re-editing of the previous chapters. It has a new little side story in there which wasn't there before.

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Please leave a review – they totally make my day and keep me inspired to keep writing!


	9. The Knife's Edge

**Author's Note: **_A short one with a little side story on Beth and Cas, and another familiar being who we hear about in Season 9_

* * *

_I am a soldier's angel  
Through the eyes of a soldier  
Through the eyes of a soldier  
I am a soldier's mother  
Through the eyes of an angel  
I am a soldier myself  
And no one walks away  
From this battle_

_I'm a soldier myself_  
_In the presence of angels_  
_I am a soldier's widow_  
_In the background at night_  
_I am a ghostly shadow_  
_As I follow close behind them_  
_I try to push them gently_  
_Back into the light_

* * *

**THE KNIFE'S EDGE**

* * *

_**Beth's POV**_

_The water washed around me, flowing across my skin and causing my hair to drift around my head as I lay on the surface like a starfish. The sun beat down on me and I smiled, feeling relaxed and happy. Suddenly hands slid around my waist, pulling me back into a warm body and I moaned, feeling those hands holding me possessively. I turned to face the familiar man whose arms I were in and I giggled as I looked into those piercing hazel eyes. His lips brushed along mine and I sighed happily, kissing him back with lingering passion, drawing it out. "I love you," I whispered when I pulled back and he smiled at me, circling his arms tighter around me. _

_Suddenly the lights went out, if you could say there were lights outside in a swimming hole, and I glanced up, confused, feeling Dean turn cold and statuesque. "What the hell?" I asked, looking around. Shadows skipped along the water and I sucked in a breath, feeling exposed and unprepared. I turned back to Dean but he wasn't moving, we were still in the water and there was something unidentified coming our way._

"_Cas!" I said when I couldn't rouse Dean from his position. "Cas!" I yelled a little louder, looking up above me as the shadows swirled around the periphery of my vision. We had been working on dream communication, but this was different, I needed him here because something was definitely going on._

"_Be quiet," Cas's voice said suddenly, and I found myself plucked out of the water, fully dressed, standing next to the angel in a dark wood._

"_What's going on?" I whispered, reaching for my gun which was in the small of my back – nice touch there Cas, very attentive to detail._

"_We are in your mind," he said and I rolled my eyes._

"_No shit?" I said. "I was enjoying that dream!" I thought longingly about the memory I had been reliving and sighed at the interruption. My memories of that weekend away were some of my favourite and they'd just been tainted by something that seemed to be stalking me._

"_You must listen," Cas said, pulling me behind a building as the black smoke poured around the surrounding area. _

"_Listen to what? What's going on?" I asked and Cas grabbed me, holding a hand over my mouth._

"_They are looking for you," he said cryptically and I rolled my eyes. Who was looking for me? I shrugged and he dropped his hand a fraction so I could talk._

"_Who is looking for me?" _

"_Harut and Marut, fallen angels," said Cas and I stared at him. _

"_Fallen...angels?" I asked, and he nodded._

"_There is much more than what is happening here on Earth, much of the war between Heaven and Hell is going on right now in the Heavenly realms. These fallen angels, now demons, are seeking to open the Third Temple and reinstate the blood sacrifices. This cannot be allowed to happen, for it will taint the true purpose of the temple." Cas explained and I frowned._

"_Why are you telling me all this?" I asked. _

"_Because you are needed," he said._

"_Well then wake me up, I'll get Dean and Sam, we'll go wherever you need us to," I said. _

"_They cannot follow where we need you to go," Cas said, still cryptic as ever._

"_Wait, you're asking me to go alone?"_

"_No, not exactly," Cas said._

"_Then what?" _

"_I need you for a vessel," he answered._

"_You have a vessel, you're wearing him," I said, confused._

"_We need vessels for our line, for one of our leaders whose duty is to protect the Third Temple. We must conceal him in a body that no one will suspect as he checks on the Temple and ensures it will not fall. We cannot afford to fail on this one."_

"_What do I need to do?" I asked while feeling a churning in my stomach. This was war and definitely not a game, I ran a real risk of something happening that I couldn't undo. _

"_Come with me," he answered, reaching out, but I stepped back._

"_Wait, I have to tell Dean, I can't just disappear on him – and I _will _disappear right? You need my physical body?"_

"_That's correct," he said._

"_I'm not leaving Dean to an empty bed, he's got enough to worry about as it is," I said, crossing my arms._

"_Time moves differently in Heaven, we'll be back before he wakes," Cas said and I hesitated. _

"_What if I don't come back?" I said._

_Cas sighed, looking at me. "That is a risk," he admitted. "I would not ask if it wasn't important. You are strong, you're a warrior, and you are the best choice for this mission."_

_I looked at him, contemplating and then shrugged. "Okay, wake me up. There's a chapel two blocks down from the motel, I'll meet you there in ten minutes."_

_Cas hesitated, opening his mouth to say something when I held up my hand. "I'm not budging on this Cas, I won't tell Dean where I'm going, but I'm at least going to leave a note to tell him not to worry." He nodded._

Suddenly I was back in the motel room, gasping for air at how fast I'd woken. I looked around in the semi-darkness and saw Dean curled up next to me, Sam was in the bed next to us snoring his head off.

I climbed out of bed and pulled some jeans on, stripping off my t-shirt to put on a bra, and then tugging it back on and adding my jacket. I walked into the bathroom, brushing my hair quickly and tying it up in a ponytail before coming back into the main room. I scribbled a note for Dean and put it on his bedside table, leaning down to kiss his cheek with a smile.

"Hey..." he murmured, reaching a hand out to stroke my face and I realised he was awake.

"Hey," I said with a smile, kissing him again. He groaned, pulling me in to him and sliding a hand around my waist. Confused eyes pulled back from me as soon as his hands slid along the leather of my jacket.

"Why are you dressed?"

"I can't sleep," I said quickly. "So I'm going for a run."

"You want me to come with you?"

"Nah, you're still half asleep, get some rest, I won't be too long," I said, brushing my hand through his hair. "I might go to the chapel after, okay?" He nodded and smiled, pulling me back down to him so he could kiss me again.

His eyes were a swirling vortex of greens as I stared into them, almost forgetting what it was I was doing.

"You know, there are other ways to make you tired," he said with a grin and I chuckled, nodding. Things had been kind of slow on that front lately, but it was getting easier, the flashbacks not quite so bad for him.

"Mmmm, hold that thought and maybe you can join me in the shower after," I suggested with a cheeky grin back at him. He smiled and nodded. I kissed him again quickly, looking at him seriously.

"I love you Dean," I said and he frowned at me.

"Are you okay?" He asked and I smiled with a nod.

"Yeah, of course I am. I'm allowed to say 'I love you' aren't I?" I said with a raised eyebrow. He chuckled and nodded back at me.

"Go get your run in, I'm gonna get some more sleep," he said, yawning and stretching up to reveal the new tattoo he had on his chest of the anti-possession charm. I smiled and nodded, heading for the door and casting one more glance back at him as he rolled on to his stomach, cuddling up to his pillow and almost immediately going back to sleep.

When I reached the chapel it was open, and I walked into the empty building feeling apprehensive. The cool morning air had penetrated the stones of the century-old church and my breath hung on the air in frosty rolling waves.

"Cas?" I called out, looking around me in all directions.

"I'm here," he replied and as I turned back to the altar he was standing there, looking down the aisle at me.

"Let's do this," I said, walking up to him. "What do I have to do?"

"Just open your heart and mind to accepting an angel into you. You've done this before," he said.

"Never when I was awake," I said, feeling a little nervous. "Will I be able to control my own body? What if I have to talk?"

"You will have no need, you can communicate just by thinking, and we will be able to hear you." I nodded at this, fighting back the feeling of a thousand butterflies in my stomach.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes," I said with a nod. "I think so..."

"All right."

"Wait!"

Cas turned curious eyes to me when I grabbed his arm and looked questioningly at him.

"This angel... does it have a name?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes... his name is Ezekiel," Cas said.

"Ezekiel?" I asked, thinking it over.

"Yes, he is one of our leaders, a General of our Lord's Holy Angelic Army," Cas said and I chuckled, shaking my head.

"It just seems weird that angels are warriors, you're supposed to be peaceful beings, promoting love and compassion," I said, raising an eyebrow.

"Most of us are warriors," Cas said with a frown. "Who else will protect you from the rising darkness?" I thought about that and shrugged.

"So where is he?"

"Waiting for you," Cas said. I looked around but I couldn't see anything. "You cannot see him; he is outside of normal human perception. You must awaken your other senses now, open yourself to him and allow him to enter."

I shivered, suddenly feeling cold. I brought myself to stillness, centring and taking a few deep breaths.

"Are you ready?" Cas asked, and I nodded. I was as ready as I was ever going to get.

"I'm ready," I said, "he can enter." And with that I closed my eyes. I sensed a white light building overhead and starting to spiral, it was as if I could see it, even with my eyes closed. I gasped as it took on an electric blue energy and then I felt it hit me, entering through my mouth and I gasped for air, staggering back slightly.

It was different to the demon; I felt a serenity that hadn't been there when the darkness had claimed me. Within seconds it was over and then I found myself pushed to the back of my mind, watching as if from a window as my body started to move without me. I looked at my hands, and stretched out my arms, rotating my shoulders and rolling my head in large wide circles.

"Castiel," I said, but didn't say. Ezekiel said it, but it was my voice coming out of my mouth in a strange, unemotional tone.

"Ezekiel," Cas said, bowing slightly.

"You have done well, thank you brother," I said and he nodded again.

_'Hey, what about me?' _I thought and received a reply almost instantaneously.

_'Thank you Elizabeth,' _sounded a voice inside my head that was not my own, which seemed even stranger. _'_

_'You can hear me?' _I thought.

_'Yes,' _was the reply. I would have made a thoughtful expression at this, and then resolved not to think too loudly, bad enough that I didn't have control of my body. Almost unbidden, Dean came into my mind and I tried to pull the thoughts back in, the worry for him, but it was too late, it was like a floodgate, and it was out there.

_'We will return before he realises you are gone,' _Ezekiel said and I wanted to believe him. '_Many angels, many humans, will be saved through your actions today.'_

I pulled back my thoughts a little, putting them behind a wall and there was almost a sigh of relief from the angel. _'Thank you'._

That was strange; I wish I'd known I could have thought loud enough to drive the demon that had possessed me to distraction.

_'I can stop you from thinking,' _Ezekiel said, unbidden. _'But it would hurt, and possibly cause damage, it is better if I don't have to, we are not here to harm our vessels, we are grateful you are of service.'_

_'Well... happy to be helpful,' _I thought, starting to feel a little like a third wheel.

_'If you relax, I will explain things as we go, but we must begin, time is of the essence,' _Ezekiel said and I would have nodded, but he had complete control of my body. He got the message anyway, because he nodded to Castiel and then suddenly we had moved. I was no longer looking at a chapel; I was surrounded by a desert, clear blue sky above us and a few rolling clouds in the distance.

'_Are we in Heaven?' _I thought at Ezekiel.

'_Yes,' _he answered.

'_Why do you need a vessel then?'_

'_There are many levels to Heaven, some of them closer to the physical human realm than others. This is the closest level to Earth, we all need physical bodies to exist here,' _he replied. I took all this information in, the mind boggling because even with everything I had studied I still clearly had so much more to learn.

We stood staring over at a mountain that seemed to open up, shining forth with a golden light. As I watched, the walls of a temple started to glisten in the light, I wondered how we were going to gain entry to this temple, the walls were easily twenty feet tall.

_'They are forty feet tall,' _sounded Ezekiel's voice in my head again and gasped.

_'I thought they hadn't built the Third Temple yet,"_ I thought to Ezekiel as I took in the sight before me. There had been talk for years about the people of Israel rebuilding the temple where the Second Temple had been. This was all in accordance with the prophesies that had been foretold by Ezekiel.

_'Not on the human realm,' _he answered. _'This is the Heavenly counterpart to my vision.' _

'_You were human?' _I asked, confused.

'_No. The man who wrote the Book of Ezekiel and foretold the prophecies was simply a vessel, a holy man who prayed to be of service. I spent fifty years with him and he took on my name,' _Ezekiel replied.

'_Fifty years, good God! You're not going to need me that long are you? I kind of have plans to grow old and die in my sleep,' _I said with a grin, even though my face didn't move. There was a sound that was almost like laughter and I chuckled. Cas didn't laugh, not yet, he was still pretty unemotional when he spoke with us.

'_Castiel has not walked among humans before now. He does not understand your… quirky ways. I have had many lifetimes among you,' _he said to me and I found this fascinating, what other lifetimes had he lived that we didn't know about?

Castiel appeared, he had shed the trenchcoat and I gazed at him in curiosity. He still looked like my Uncle Jimmy, but he was dressed in plate armour that shone in the sunlight bright and silver. He carried a short silver sword with him, and when I looked down at my own body, I saw I was dressed in similar clothing. I had lost the jeans and jacket; instead I was wearing chainmail which felt heavy on my shoulders, covered with a breastplate that had the image of a wheel on it that was spinning. I was holding a short sword too.

"Do you really think these are necessary?" Cas asked me and I nodded, it was almost like I was answering him, it was surreal but I relaxed into it, if I went along with Ezekiel being in control this was going to be a lot easier.

"Yes," I said, looking down at the temple. "Something is amiss here. This is sacred ground. How are the demons getting here? Somebody has to be letting them in, and that can only be an angel."

Cas nodded and put his sword into a sheath at his back, casting a long look down at the temple. Suddenly there was a mass of screams from below and the unmistakable noise of swords clashing.

"It has begun," I said. "We must hurry."

In a second we appeared at the side of the temple and were instantly set upon by a couple of demons that glowed red and were wielding some of the same swords we were carrying. Cas moved quickly, stabbing one in the chest and it screeched an ungodly sound, calling attention to our presence. Several more demons descended from the high cliffs that flanked the temple, and we rolled to avoid them falling on us.

I regained my footing easily, and spun, reaching out my hand to touch the forehead of one of the demons, in a blinding flash of light the demon fell to the ground dead, his eyes burned from its sockets.

"Ezekiel!" Someone called out my name and I spun to see a beautiful woman who seemed vaguely familiar to me come running up from the side of the temple with three other men. She was dressed in similar armour to us and her hair was loose, strawberry blonde and floating around her shoulders.

"Sariel," I said and suddenly I flashed back to the woman who had been there when I'd raised Janus from his imprisonment. _She's an angel?_

'_Yes, one of my finest warriors,' _Ezekiel said to me and I looked at her. She didn't look like much, but then, I suppose I didn't either.

_'Appearances can be deceiving,' _came another line and I mentally rolled my eyes. Yeah. He wasn't wrong there.

"We must hurry," she said, starting to lead us to the rear of the temple. "Everyone is assembled."

"How many?" I asked and she turned troubled eyes to me.

"Not nearly enough," she said. We were interrupted by a group of demons rushing us from the side, at least a dozen. Suddenly we were in the thick of a battle, swords flashing. We took them quickly, but it was not without our losses, I watched, my heart breaking to see two of my brothers fall in action.

"I sent to Michael for reinforcements, I don't understand," I said, seeing a swarm of demons descend from a gateway high on the mountain, one similar to where we had entered.

"They were never sent," Cas replied with stern eyes. There was an understanding that passed between Cas and Ezekiel that I didn't quite catch from my voyeuristic place inside my own body; they spoke without words, and then looked at Sariel who nodded her agreement. All I felt from Ezekiel was the piercing ache of betrayal. We had been set up.

"I will not let this temple fall into the hands of Samael," Ezekiel said to the others and they nodded.

Another angel in the form of a young man came running up, his hair was short and dark, spiked around his face and he looked at us with big brown eyes."

_'Qafsiel' _I heard Ezekiel say to me as he identified him. _'Guardian of the Seventh Heaven." _

"They are not just demons," Qafsiel said, bowing to me. "Some of them, their leaders, are tainted, twisted abominations. We have not seen these kinds of demons here before. They resist our touches in sending them back to Hell." I nodded, and reached to a sheath that was tied to my leg, pulling out a knife. Mentally I gasped when I saw it, holding it up for those closest to me to see. "They will not resist this," Ezekiel said in my voice, sounding confident.

'_I've seen that knife before,' _I said, thinking to Ruby's knife which Dean currently had tucked away in the weapon's bag.

_'This is its twin,' _Ezekiel said to me. _'You will find there are many things made manifest in both realms. When this knife was born to the earthly realms, it was also born to ours.'_

_'And to Hell?' _I asked, thinking about Ruby's knife.

_'No. Our Lord would never make manifest in Hell what is brought forth in Heaven. The knife you refer to was originally created by a holy man in what is your modern day Iraq. It was held in Babylon for many centuries until being passed to a holy man on the crusades, where it made its way to a holy family. How it came to be in the hands of the demon, we still are unsure.'_

We were moving the whole time this conversation took place and we came to the very back of the temple, casting a glance around. I spoke a few words in a language I didn't recognise and then touched my hand to the wall surrounding the temple, a doorway lit up in bright silver outlines in the rock face and when I pushed, it swung open.

"Quickly," I said and we passed through, the door sealing behind us.

We were inside a large building, the floors were shining white marble, the same as the walls, only throughout the walls there was gold inlays in beautiful designs and symbols. I gasped, looking at the scene before me; I'd never seen anything like it.

In the centre of the building was a large pool of water that shone cerulean blue and it was surrounded by exotic plants that I'm certain were extinct, or had never existed on Earth. Many were beautiful orchids, and lotuses on the water. I took a moment to bow to this pond and then I was moving around it.

Stepping out into the large courtyard at the front of the building, I saw approximately fifty angels gathered before me. I looked around, taking in the faces of everyone: I knew each and every one of them, or at least, Ezekiel did.

"Thank you for your loyalty. You all know how important it is that this temple does not fall. I am counting on you to do your part, and I will see you through. I will not let this come to pass._" _The angels all nodded and bowed at me and I felt a sickening uncertainty knot in my stomach. We could not fail, but we were not enough.

"Ezekiel..." Sariel was following me as I walked down the side of the assembled angels. "Ezekiel, it's not enough..." she said quietly and I stopped to look into her piercing blue eyes.

"What do you suggest we do? Hand the Temple over?"

"No! Of course not," she said, frowning at me. "But you could issue a blanket call to the Lady's Legion. They will come."

"And alert the rest of Heaven to our plans? No, it would be too risky, they will be needed another time," I said, shaking my head.

_'Lady's Legion?' _I thought to myself. _'What the heck is going on here?'_

Ezekiel didn't answer and I found that curious. He was playing this close.

"There will not be another time if we don't get some back-up," she insisted and I nodded.

"Take ten of our brothers and go to Michael himself, do not speak with anyone else," I said to her and her eyes widened. "He will listen to you, and if he doesn't, we will know who is behind this."

Sariel nodded once and then turned back to the assembled gathering, calling out ten names and then they vanished into thin air and I was left curious.

_'How come you didn't just zap us in here?' _I thought at Ezekiel.

_'The Temple is protected. We can fly out without any complications, but one can only enter through the gates. It is to protect the Temple during times like this.' _He answered and I frowned. Just how often was Heaven at war that they had to think about battles we were about to go into?

My mind wandered to the battle ahead and I started to feel a little panicked. If we were so little, and the demons coming were so many, I wasn't going to make it out of this alive and I thought about Dean, cursing the fact that I hadn't told him where I was really going or what I was doing.

_'I will do my best to ensure you are returned to him,' _Ezekiel said to me and I cursed. Damn it, thinking out loud again.

The area around us started to darken, and when I looked into the sky I saw it starting to turn red. There was a sea of darkness washing across the bright blue, drawing it in like a black hole, and then a portal opened up over the temple and hundreds of demons started to pour out upon us.

They had clearly been attempting to fall straight into the walls of the temple, but soon found their plan flawed. I watched, horrified, but on the outside completely calm and collected as Ezekiel controlled my body.

"Take your positions!" I called out and suddenly we were all standing on the walls to the temple, looking down at the sea of demons washing down to the ground as if propelled by an invisible barrier around the Temple, preventing them from entering by air.

"Take the lesser demons, I will deal with the leaders," I said, not loudly, but I knew that they had all heard. As the demons started to wash upon the walls to the temple I saw piercing silver light flash from the hands of the angels everywhere. When they hit the demons, they fell to the ground in anguish, and they didn't get up.

"This is a distraction," Cas said beside me and I nodded, looking at him.

"Indeed. Gather five of our best and meet me at the rear gate, that is where we are weakest, and that is where they will seek to breach the walls." I _zapped _and found myself at the entrance to the temple building again, walking through the gates to the interior, past the pool, and to where we had entered.

Cas arrived with five other angels and I waved my hand in the air before the wall, watching in amazement as it went transparent. There were three huge demons there, writing something on the other side, protected by a dozen lesser demons. I swallowed, or would have if I had control of my body, and felt myself go pale.

"Take the others and deal with the lesser demons," I told Cas, who nodded his assent. "I will deal with the others."

I pulled out the knife again from its sheath and stilled myself. Surprise was going to be the only advantage we had. There was a silent signal given that I didn't hear or understand, but suddenly I was on the other side of the wall, popping up between the lesser demons and their leaders. With a swift movement I killed one with a stab to the throat, it fell and it did not get up. The other two spun on me, and there was the sound of fighting all around me as I faced off with one of the lead demons while the other continued to work on the wall.

I sunk into a fighting stance, circling around the demon, it was easily twice my size, but I knew I was faster, stronger, even in this body. It lunged at me, and I dodged to the side but I had underestimated, it had a tail it had hidden which lashed out at me, and barbs pierced my skin, cutting clear through the chainmail and across my back. I fell to my knees in agony, and then I rolled as it jumped toward me.

Now prepared, I dodged the tail, grabbing it using the momentum from the attack to swing the demon around and crash against the wall. I threw myself down on it, stabbing it in the gut and saw the light fade from its eyes. The last of the head demons turned on me with a roar, and tackled me to the ground. I kicked it from me, propelling it a good five yards away as I climbed to my feet.

There was a feeling of relief that flooded through me as the chainmail fell to the ground, useless against these beings. I would have to be fast now to avoid further injury. I looked over to see the other angels and Cas battling the demons and then two more beings appeared before me. They signalled to the head demon and he returned to the wall where he had been working, resuming his actions.

"Harut, Marut…" I said, looking at these men before me, twins, and in human vessels but they were falling apart, the bodies bloodied and burned, skin peeling away from their faces.

"Brother," one of them said, stepping forward. "Join us."

"Never."

"Join us or die," said the other and I looked coldly at them, my resolve firm.

"You will not pass."

They moved in unison and I pulled out my short silver sword, holding it in the other hand so I was dual wielding weapons. I would need it. With a clash of steel, I blocked the two swords that were swung at me, ducking and spinning behind one of them, slashing along his back with the demon killing knife. Blood sprayed across me and hit the ground, but it did not kill him.

Relentless in their attacks, I could see us starting to fall on the periphery of my vision, angels and demons alike were dying and I knew that if I didn't get to the other lead demon, the door would be opened in a matter of moments. I read something that flitted across Ezekiel's mind, and I cursed John then for his self-sacrificing attitude which he'd drilled in to both Dean and I.

'_Go, do it…' _I thought to Ezekiel and I felt the relief that washed over him. He had been genuinely trying not to get me killed. With a yell that bordered on kamikaze, he pushed through the two fallen angels, catching one in the stomach with the short sword, and a piercing white light shone from his face as he fell to the ground dead. But it had opened me up to the other angel, who screamed at me and swung with his own sword. I was able to pull back enough to avoid being skewered by the sword he swung at me, but not enough to avoid getting hit, and deep.

I fell to the wall, holding my stomach and seeing with horror that I had been gutted. It all happened in a split second, but felt like slow motion. I dropped the demon knife to the ground, holding my stomach, trying to keep my intestines in, and with the other I swung the sword around, catching a lucky blow to the other fallen angel, piercing him through the heart. He looked shocked and fell to the ground still holding the sword which I released.

Spitting up blood, I grabbed the demon knife again, and with a final surge of adrenaline I threw myself on the demon at the wall, he was concentrating and didn't expect to be attacked with all his brothers around him. I rammed the knife deep into his back as he reached out a bloodied hand to the wall; we were seconds away from him breaching it.

A shrill scream sounded over the air as he died, and I fell against the wall, watching as more demons were alerted to our presence, rushing in packs from around the side of the temple.

"No!" Cas yelled, seeing me fall, and he ran toward me, killing the demons as they came with his sword. I felt a warm light start to claim me, and I wondered what it was going to be like to die. There were four of us left, including Cas, and they circled around, their backs to me as wave after wave of demons descended. We were all going to die this day, the Temple would fall and we had failed.

Suddenly trumpets sounded from all around and I could see chariots appear in the sky, at least, they looked like chariots. Cas took a blow to the stomach from one of the swords a demon was carrying, he fell to his knees in front of me and looked up, raising weakened arms to block the killing blow.

Lightning shot forth, hitting the demon and I felt the relief Ezekiel felt wash through me. They had come, whoever _they _were, and we might die, but we had saved the Temple and that was all that mattered. Cas staggered back, falling to the ground beside me and I felt Ezekiel go very still inside of me, and then I was back in control of my body, grabbing at Cas and screaming in agony.

Sariel came running up, hearing an unspoken call from Cas and she grabbed us both with her hands, worried look on her face, and we disappeared from the battle ground.

I don't know how long I'd been out but when I woke I was lying on a bed in a pristine white building. When I looked out the windows I could see stars swirling in the night sky, galaxies spinning. We were definitely not on Earth.

"She's awake," someone said and I turned to see a young woman looking down at me. "You're in the Healing Rooms. How do you feel?"

"Uh, fine," I said, frowning in confusion. There wasn't even a scar over my stomach as I ran my hands down. "How?"

"We have healed you in gratitude for your selfless act today," said the girl and she smiled, sitting next to me on the bed. She had eyes that smiled brightly and long curling blonde hair.

"Man, do you all go looking for gorgeous vessels or does it just work out that way?" I said, lying back and looking at her. She laughed and it sounded like tinkles on the air.

"Well I was lucky, Alyssa is beautiful isn't she?" She replied, looking down at her body. I nodded, curious about this creature before me.

"I'm Chamuel," she said, smiling at me.

"Beth," I said and she nodded.

"Where is Cas?" I asked, looking around, "…and Ezekiel, is he?"

She looked at me with concern and then smiled as Cas walked into the room, he had returned to wearing the trenchcoat we now associated with him. He looked down at me, all business, and I rolled my eyes.

"Cas, you're supposed to _smile _when you see someone you care about brought back from the brink of death," I pointed out and he frowned, then smiled at me. "Much better," I said with a grin.

"Can I see Dean now?" I asked, starting to feel the absence of him from my side. It was like a homesickness, only not for a place, but for a person.

"Shortly, he is still sleeping so don't worry," Cas said and I wondered how he knew all this. "We need to talk."

"About?"

"Ezekiel," he answered, taking a seat next to me. "He was gravely injured in the attack, and he sacrificed some of his power to keep you alive." My mouth dropped open, I was gobsmacked.

"Is he going to be all right?" I asked, and he looked at me, his eyes assessing my reaction.

"That depends on you," he said.

"Why?"

"It is complicated, and I cannot explain it here," he said, and without warning he reached out and touched my forehead, and I found myself standing by a lake, looking out over the water.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Inside your mind, I have returned you to the chapel, and you are asleep – we cannot be overheard here," he said. I nodded and crossed my arms over my stomach, hugging myself, I felt cold and tired.

"What's going on?" I questioned, looking at him.

"There is a war going on, and many things we cannot see are occurring. We nearly lost this battle, if it hadn't been for Michael bringing in his legions at the last minute…" his voice trailed off. It had been close. "Ezekiel is key to many things, and we cannot lose him, but it is not safe for him to be injured and in Heaven right now," he continued.

"Then bring him to Earth, let him heal here," I said.

"He can only do that if he has a vessel," he pointed out and I felt myself waver.

"Oh no. No, you can't possibly mean…"

"You wouldn't even know he was there, he is asleep at the moment, but I can communicate with him, explain what has happened. He would be dormant within you while he heals, and when he is strong enough he could return to Heaven without a vessel." He spoke quickly, almost too quickly and my head was spinning. This wasn't what I had signed up for.

"And I'd have full control of my body?" I asked, looking at him. He nodded.

"Can I tell Dean?"

"The less people who know, the safer it will be for both of you and Ezekiel," Cas answered, the tone clear: No. I nodded. I didn't like keeping secrets from Dean, every time I did something went horribly wrong, but I could see the logic behind it.

"How long are we talking here?" I asked.

"Not long, one or two weeks. Chamuel will visit you in your sleep to conduct healings to speed up the process," he said. I nodded. I really had no choice, if there was something I could do to help then I had to, didn't I?

I looked at Cas, sighing. "All right, but as soon as he is ready, I want my body fully returned, no more piggy backing." He nodded, and I glanced over at the light starting to stream through the stained glass windows. When I looked back Cas had disappeared and I was alone.

"Ezekiel?" I asked, listening for some kind of voice. There was nothing. I shrugged and stood up, sighing. I said a quick prayer to God in gratitude for being safely returned to Earth and went in search of Dean.

He was in the shower when I returned, and I slipped into the bathroom, stripping off my clothes and stepping into the bath behind the shower curtain. Dean was washing his hair, eyes closed and singing to himself as I grinned at him, sliding my hands along his back. He jumped, and I smiled, wrapping my arms around his waist and leaning into his back.

"Hey!" He said with a smile, turning to face me and kiss my nose. "How was your run?"

"Good," I said, "but I'm glad to be back."

"Mmmm, I'm glad to have you back," he said, kissing along my shoulder to my neck, his hands roaming down along my hips and around to my buttocks, squeezing them as he pulled me in closer. "I missed you."

"You were asleep!" I said with a laugh.

"I still miss you when I'm sleeping," he chuckled and kissed my lips while the water poured down on us from the faucet. "Sam still asleep?" He asked, glancing at the door and I nodded, grinning back at him.

"Thank god for that," he said, and he lifted me up, causing me to wrap my legs around his waist while he leaned me up against the tiles of the bath. "I am starving," he said, kissing down my neck. "And I'm not talking about food."

I had just enough time to wonder just how much Ezekiel was going to be seeing, hearing or feeling before I shoved it to the back of my mind. I was lucky to be alive, and Dean was in a frisky non-traumatised mood, life was good, and I was going to take advantage of it, starting right now.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

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Song for this chapter is: _Soldier's Angel _by Stevie Nicks

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I had always planned to go this route of Beth doing a few 'solo missions' with Cas, but with the appearance of so-called Ezekiel in Season 9 it's added an extra dimension to the whole thing, and as I was writing it this all just sort of came into being and I love it! You can clearly see how it will be easy for Gadreel to convince Dean and Beth that he should be allowed to try and heal Sam, no? That's where I'm going with it, just a little side story fun.

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Big chapter coming up with a bit of a twist to _Monster Movie _which I'm hoping sounds as funny on paper as it does in my head and talking with EarthhAngel about it.

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Please leave a review :) I'll love you forever!


	10. Monster Movie Madness

**Author's Note: ** _A bit of a twist on an old classic. Enjoy! _

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_Time isn't on our side  
All we have now  
For the rest of our lives  
Let's stay up all night_

_In the silence you stare at the world_  
_Your eyes are screaming to be heard_  
_I want to learn you inside out_

_All that changes is time_  
_Can't keep you inside of me_  
_You're out of my mind_  
_I wear you on my sleeve_  
_In the silence you stare at the world_  
_your eyes are screaming to be heard_  
_I want to learn you inside out_

_I see all that you want to be_  
_Look into your soul_  
_Looking right back at me_  
_I want to learn you inside out_

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**MONSTER MOVIE MADNESS**

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_**Three Days Earlier**_

_**Ohio**_

**Beth's POV**

There was a certain level of geniality at our table this evening which had been hard won considering I was still feeling a fair amount of disappointment in Sam's attitude the last few weeks. I looked across the table at Jo, who had joined us for dinner, and contemplated the change she seemed to have made on Sam's mood.

"So, Jo... what are you doing in Cleveland?" I asked, watching her as she turned to face me.

"I picked up a job, ghost in this old lady's house – turned out it was her long lost husband from the war," she said with a shrug. "Problem was his body was never recovered from where he died."

"So how did he come to be haunting her?" Dean asked around a mouthful of tasty moo shu.

"Hitched a ride on his wedding ring, one of his comrades brought it back with him," Jo answered and I raised an eyebrow. That was kind of creepy.

"So he's been hanging around for like what? Thirty years? And now he gets problematic?" I asked, not really understanding why it took so long for the woman to have a complaint.

"Yeah, well she's recently started seeing that friend in a more than _friendly _way if you get my drift now that his wife has passed on." Jo shook her head with a smile.

"Heh, some people, amazing how they don't move on, you'd think if you were dead, you're dead. Move on man, she's out of your zipcode," Dean said without thinking and I stared at him, amazed at the crap that came out of his mouth sometimes.

"Hmmm, I seem to remember you having a different opinion when it was your ass on the other side," I said with a grin and he paused, frowning.

"Uh, that's different," he said, taking another bite of food and chewing away.

"How so Dean?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrow and the older brother paused again, thinking it over.

"Well, because... in our wedding vows we didn't say _'til death do us part. _Which kind of means we're stuck with each other for all eternity now," he said and I laughed.

"You make it sound like a punishment," I commented and he shook his head.

"Uh-uh," he said, kissing my cheek quickly. "I'm down with that, you know the only punishment that could be given me is being separated from you," he added and I chuckled.

Jo rolled her eyes while making a gagging sound and Sam snickered. "That is so pathetically lame Dean; you're losing all your bad boy credibility you know."

Dean shrugged and chuckled, tossing a smile at me that warmed my heart. I leaned over and kissed him, licking along his tasty lips. "It might be schmucky, but it was a good save," I said with a smile.

"Excuse me," said the owner of the little Chinese restaurant we were sitting in. "I take your plates now?" We nodded and she picked up the empty plates. "You want tea and our special fortune cookies?"

"Yes please," Dean said, still chewing on his food and nodding.

She brought back a plate of fortune cookies and Dean quickly cracked his open, reading the fortune inside.

"'_You have a fine capacity for the enjoyment of life. A pleasant experience is ahead: don't pass it by.' _Well, I like the sound of that," Dean said with a grin, shoving the entire cookie in his mouth and munching away.

"Are you going to eat yours?" He asked me and I shook my head.

"Save it for later, you're bound to get hungry on the trip," I said, and he looked at me curiously.

"What trip?"

"We're going to Pennsylvania," I said, looking over at Sam who was rolling his eyes.

"This is a waste of time," he said. Jo laughed and snatched the fortune from Dean's hands.

"Oh I don't know, sounds to me like it's exactly what the Chinese fortune ordered," she said, looking at Sam with a raised eyebrow.

"Wait, what? Where are we going?" Dean asked.

"Oktoberfest," I said with a laugh, and his eyes widened as he turned to me.

"Really?" He asked and I nodded, pulling a newspaper article out of my pocket.

"Surprise. Oktoberfest _and _vampires, good times all round," I said, pointing to the article where a young woman had been killed, supposedly by a vampire.

Dean snatched up Sam's fortune cookie instead and cracked it open. He read the paper and then grinned, leaning over to kiss me softly.

"Well so far we're two right," he said and I raised an eyebrow questioningly. He handed me the piece of paper in his hands and I read it. _''If you never give up on love, it will never give up on you.' _ I laughed and caught cheeky hazel eyes looking at me.

"Very true," I said with a smile and we waved at the woman for the check. I pocketed my cookie and looked over at Jo who was reading hers.

"'_If you eat a box of fortune cookies, anything is possible,'" _she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Good point," Dean said, standing up and going over to the woman at the counter, he had a bit of a laugh with her and then she nodded, going into the kitchen. He handed her a large bill from his wallet when she returned with a small box of sugar doughnuts and a box of fortune cookies. He came over and handed the cookies to Jo. "There you go, only one way to find out," he said with a chuckle. Jo laughed and shook her head.

"That's okay, I don't need to accomplish the impossible," she said and Dean chuckled.

"You never know," he said, and bit into one of the doughnuts, dropping sugar all down his chin and t-shirt. I shook my head and laughed at him, some things never changed and Dean's love for food had only gotten stronger since he'd returned from Hell.

"So, Pennsylvania huh?" He asked and we nodded at him. "Well then let's go!"

We all stood up and Sam cleared his throat, looking down at Jo. "Actually, we're uh, we're gonna hang around here for a few days. Why don't you two go and check things out and we'll join you for the hunt once we know what we're up against?" Sam said.

Dean raised his eyebrow at Sam, and then looked at Jo, getting a cheeky expression on his face. "Yeah okay you two, whatever, if you want to miss out on Oktoberfest, that's your thing... Beth and I are going, this is gonna be fun!"

As we left the restaurant I saw Jo slip a hand through Sam's arm and smile up at him and I paused. _Well that's interesting. _For the first time in a long while I saw Sam actually genuinely smile at someone.

"Hey Dean," I said softly, pulling him ahead of them and wrapping my arm around his waist so I could lean in to him. "You think something is going on with those two?"

"God I hope so," he answered, kissing my neck. "Maybe she'll teach him to lighten up a little.

"Yeah, but... really?" I asked, a little surprised. After all, Jo had been crushing on Dean from the day we met her, so to have her change so suddenly was strange.

"Yeah, I think something happened between them when we spent that New Years at the Roadhouse," he said quietly, glancing back at Sam and Jo who were walking slowly behind us, lost in conversation.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because one: it was New Years, and they were both _alone _and spent the night sharing a room; two: _he is a guy _and she's not exactly hard on the eyes_; _and three: when she came to the wedding she wasn't all hung up on me like she usually was, and she was laughing and joking with him," he said. "Pretty sure they shared a room that night too," he added with a raised eyebrow.

"Really?" I asked with a laugh. "You know you just sprouted a whole bunch of girl stuff at me right?"

"Oh guys pay attention to it too, don't you worry," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "We're just not as obvious about it."

"Is that right? And just where were you the night of our wedding that you noticed them sharing a room?" I asked, thinking about it.

"Hey! Man has to pee sometime!" He said, grinning at me. I laughed.

"There was a bathroom in our motel room," I pointed out and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah okay, actually I was checking on the car because I heard these two drunks walking past and didn't want her damaged," he admitted.

I raised an eyebrow. "And they were the drunks?" He nodded in response.

"Watched them groping and kissing each other all the way into Sam's room," he said with a grin, sliding his arm around my waist as we reached the motel just down the street from where we'd eaten. He took out a key and opened the door to our room, waving back at Sam and Jo. "We'll see you guys in the morning," he said with a grin, pushing me into the motel room. "Time for dessert!"

I saw Sam roll his eyes as Jo and he walked past the open door, and then Jo smiled up at him and he seemed to soften. I sighed, I was still beyond angry with him but I'd been trying to let it go for Dean's sake, he had such hope that Sam was going to come out of this all right. I was a little less optimistic after the things he had said – they were deep rooted and didn't go away overnight. Just the same, I hadn't seen Jo around for a while, so maybe that could play a key role in Sam getting over the whole Ruby and playing with his powers period.

Dean seemed to read my mind on the Jo front because he walked into the bathroom, washing his face, and called out. "She disappeared for a while because they had a massive fight just before I died." he said.

"How do you know all this?" I asked, standing in the doorway and crossing my arms.

"I listen, sugarpie," he said, grinning at me.

"You didn't tell me," I said.

"Well, I was kind of in Hell," he said.

"Well that's hardly an excuse, and you didn't go to Hell for months after the wedding," I said with a soft laugh, wrapping my hands around his waist and leaning against his back, planting a kiss at the base of his neck.

Dean turned and wrapped his arms around me, leaning in to brush his lips softly across mine, moaning a little and leaning into the kiss when I ran my hands up along his chest to his jaw.

"Which reminds me," he said, "we have a lot of time to make up on that front."

"Yeah?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. He nodded and leaned in to me, kissing the curve of my neck.

"Oh yeah," he murmured, his hands sliding down my back and under my jeans, stroking along the rise of my buttocks. I groaned and pulled him tighter into me, my hands running through his hair as I pressed my thigh in against his groin.

"I take it you're feeling … good?" I asked, trying to keep the worry out of my voice that the last few times we'd tried to get intimate he'd had a panic attack.

"Yeah, I do," he said quietly, kissing my shoulder and tugging at the ends of my t-shirt. "I feel really good tonight."

* * *

_**A few hours later  
**_**  
Beth's POV**

I walked in from the bathroom while Dean was busy rummaging through my jeans.

"What are you doing?" I asked curiously, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"I'm starving!" He said, looking up at me and then pulling the fortune cookie from dinner out of the pocket.

"You had all those doughnuts," I pointed out.

"Gone," he said.

"What have you got tapeworm?" I asked, shaking my head. He chuckled and broke open the cookie, pulling out the fortune.

"Maybe," he said with a grin, shoving the cookie into his mouth and then opening up the fortune to read it. "Huh," he said around a mouthful of sweetness.

"What?"

"'_You will see things through the eyes of your lover,'_" he said after swallowing the cookie and taking a sip of beer from the bottle by his side of the bed. "What kind of a fortune is that?"

"A lame one?" I asked with a grin, hopping into bed and leaning over to kiss him.

"No kidding, I know you so well, there'd be nothing to learn," Dean said with a grin.

"Oh really? You think so?" I asked lightly, laughing softly as he pushed me down to the mattress, pinning my arms and trailing his lips along mine.

"Mhmmm," he said, teasing me with his tongue. I groaned, he might be right about that, he did know me extremely well.

I hooked my leg around his waist and pulled him in snuggly against me. "Well okay, Mr Knows-me-so-well, what am I thinking right now?" I asked with a grin and he chuckled, starting to slide his hand down along my side, massaging my skin.

"You want to sleep," he answered and I laughed and nodded. "Well too bad, I have better plans," he countered and leaned down to catch a nipple in his mouth, sucking on it firmly and causing me to arch in the air with a shallow gasp. Oh it was great when he was in a good way, I was starting to hope that maybe we were through the worst of the Hell flashbacks after the last few hours.

* * *

_**Next morning  
Motel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

The first thing I felt like doing when I woke up was to pee. Groaning, I pulled back the covers and padded into the bathroom, rubbing at my eyes. What a night, I was exhausted, but God I felt good. I flipped the switch on the wall and blinked with the sudden light, focusing on my reflection in the mirror. Big brown eyes stared back at me and I froze. _Brown?_

I was awake instantly, looking down and seeing soft, petite hands. When I looked up in the mirror it was Beth's face staring back at me. I blinked, and then I pinched myself. _Ow! _Damn. _No, come on. That doesn't prove anything. I'm dreaming. This is definitely a dream. _I thought to myself, shaking my head and pinching myself again. _Wake up! _Suddenly I didn't need to pee so much anymore, breathing seemed to take a priority over that.

I pulled on a robe over my… well my naked breasts, and I turned back toward the door. "Beth?!" I called out. "Baby you awake?"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I heard a scream sound from the other room and I ran out, ready to attack whatever was in the room, picking up my gun from the side of the bed as I spun around, looking for the attacker.

There was nothing. And then I saw myself climbing off the bed, wrapping the sheet around my naked body and I froze. _Holy mother of God. _I thought. _Oh this better be a dream. _

When hazel eyes turned to me, the me in the sheet started to scream again and I hurried around the bed, only to have _me _back away against the wall, whimpering.

"Shhh!" I said, reaching out my hand. "You'll wake everyone up!" I added urgently, but it was too late, Sam was already barging into the room, gun drawn.

The other me shrieked again at the intrusion and Sam looked frantically around the room for the reason for the screaming.

"What the hell guys?" He asked finally, lowering his gun when he saw me holding mine.

"Dean?" My doppelganger said to me, and I frowned.

"Beth?" I asked, taking in the way _he _was standing, not the way I would stand at all, but the sheet, the way it was wrapped up around the chest and under the armpits, just the way Beth did it after a night of... I shook my head.

"Oh this is not a good dream," I muttered and Sam frowned.

"What are you talking about Beth? You're not dreaming, we are wide awake," he said, looking at me.

"Beth?!" My doppelganger said. "I'm Beth!"

"What?" Jo asked, coming into the room a little late for the whole showdown. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh shit," I said, and Sam raised an eyebrow at me. "Son of a bitch!"

I crossed the room and took _my face _in my hands and searched the eyes in front of me. They were green, like mine, but there was something else there. A glimmer: something that wasn't me. Something I loved more than I loved anything else in the world.

"Beth?" I asked softly and she nodded, tears coming to those green eyes.

"What's going on?" She asked, and I frowned, shaking my head.

"I dunno..." I said, looking back at Sam and Jo who were watching us in total confusion.

Sam frowned. "You know, maybe we should leave you guys..."

"No!" I said, shaking my head and holding out a hand to him. "No, we need you, Jesus... this is not good, this is really not good."

"What's not good?" Jo asked, frowning at us now too.

"Uh, look, I'm not Beth," I said, looking at them and they both raised eyebrows at me.

"Then who are you?" Jo asked with a snort.

"Dean," I said, and she rolled her eyes sceptically.

"Yeah, right," she responded.

Sam was watching us intently, taking in the way we were moving, the things we were saying, he knew us better than anyone.

"Sammy... you see it don't you?" I asked as Beth started to breathe a little faster and then sat down on the edge of the bed, her head sinking into her … my … hands.

"Dean?" He asked.

"Yeah little bro," I said, nodding. "We're in deep..."

"Wait, you don't believe her do you?" Jo asked, looking at Sam. "They're pulling our legs!"

"No, no they're not," Sam said, a slight smile starting to tip up at the side of his mouth. "They're really not... didn't you hear her? It sounded just like Dean... '_son of a bitch'_. Beth never says that," Sam pointed out and I nodded, putting a hand at the back of Beth's neck, willing her to still her breathing a little as she started gasping for air.

"Baby you need to calm down," I said, kneeling down in front of her.

"Calm down?! Jesus Dean, I'm in your body!" Beth snapped, and then buried her face again.

"Well it's not all bad," I said with a grin. "Hey Sammy, I got boobs!"

Sam looked at me incredulously and shook his head. "Yeah, probably not the right time, Dean..." he said, moving closer to us. "So what happened?"

"I dunno, I just woke up and man... I had boobs!" I said, cupping them in my hands, man that felt strange.

"Yeah... yeah Dean, you uh, you already mentioned that," Sam said, shaking his head.

Beth whimpered and lay back on the bed, looking totally forlorn. Suddenly she sat back up again, a look of horror on her face and she glanced down.

"Oh no, no no no," she said, squirming.

"What's wrong?" Jo asked, looking at her.

I watched myself jump up off the bed, taking care to tuck the sheet around me even firmer and then pulling Jo away to the corner where they started conversing urgently. All I managed to catch was something about needing to pee. _Wait, pee?_

Looking at her, she was holding a bunch of the sheet in front of my groin and I groaned. Sam was watching and he suddenly clued on too, laughing.

"Oh this is priceless, I wish you could see yourselves," he said, shaking his head.

"Sam!" Jo chastised him and then looked worriedly at Beth.

"Yeah, Sammy, shut your cakehole or you can be the one who has to show her how to pee standing up!" I snapped, and crossed over to look at Beth who groaned.

"Baby, it's gonna be all right, okay?" I reassured her, brushing a hand along her arm, looking in curiosity at the hand print that was branded into my skin.

"Well, what's the last thing you guys remember?" Sam asked, frowning at me.

"Uh, well... lots of... you know. Yeah," I said, grinning at Sam who rolled his eyes at me. "And then eating those doughnuts, and the cookie... oh my god_, the cookie_!"

I ran around to the side of the bed, picking up the fortune from the night stand and handing it to Sam.

"'_You will see things through the eyes of your lover,'_?" He asked, looking up at me. "Dean, this doesn't make any sense!"

"Well, it's gotta be it, because it's the only thing that makes any sense!" I said.

"So what are you saying? That the fortune cookie swapped your bodies around?" He asked, looking over at Jo and shaking his head.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," I said with a nod. "Man you gotta do something."

"Me? What do you want me to do?!" He asked, looking surprised.

"I don't know! Go back and talk to that lady at the restaurant, you know she said these were _special _fortune cookies!"

"So what, you think she's a witch or something?" Jo asked, crossing her arms.

"I don't know! Do I look like I know what's going on?!" I snapped, shaking my head.

"It's somewhere to start," Beth said suddenly and I nodded in agreement.

"Wow that is weird," Jo mumbled, shaking her head.

"What?" I asked.

"You guys, it's like... everything you're saying, how you're saying it, how you're standing – you're Dean. But it's all Beth's body and voice..." She said, frowning.

"What? I sound like Beth?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah."

"Well Beth sounds like Beth to me," I said. "Sugarpie?"

Beth stood up, frowning and nodding. "Yeah, no it's weird, I'm seeing my body, but it's Dean's voice coming out."

"Huh," Sam said, looking curious. "Must be something to do with the magic. Or maybe your brains are compensating for the weirdness by at least making something familiar..." he surmised.

"Well that doesn't make any sense," I said, tossing my hands in the air.

"Dean, this whole damn situation doesn't make any sense, you're asking me to split hairs now?" Sam asked. I shook my head.

"Look, just... can you go check out the lady? Please?" I asked and he nodded, looking at Jo who started for the door.

"Yeah okay, we'll be back soon. Don't... just don't do anything...stupid," he said, and then he closed the door.

I heard a sigh and turned to see Beth..._me_... bury my face in my hands.

"You okay?" I asked, already knowing the answer as she shook her head.

"Noooooo, I still have to pee!" She said and I realised, dammit I did too. Somehow I figured this whole thing was gonna be harder on her than it was on me, after all, I'd spent the better half of my teenaged years learning about the female anatomy, Beth on the other hand... she was just looking uncomfortable.

I sighed, and then smiled at her. "Come on, I'll show you how it's done," I offered and she sighed, nodding.

"Thank God we're already married," she said as she walked past me. "You can't get out of this relationship now, body swapping does not warrant a marriage annulment!" she said.

"What? You think this is weird compared to some of the other stuff we've been through?" I asked. "If Hell didn't destroy us, this is like a speed bump," I said, and I grimaced. Man we had to get to the bottom of this, it didn't matter how good looking I was at the end of the day, I still liked having a woman to touch and make love to, and this whole situation was just... freaky.

* * *

_**12 hours later**_**  
**_**Pennsylvania**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean was driving, and it was strangely intriguing to watch my face knitted in concentration as he stared at the road while we crossed the Pennsylvania border. The sign stating _Welcome to Pennsylvania _lit up sharply in the dark with a flash of lightning and I could have sworn it said _Transylvania _instead of Pennsylvania. That's where my mind was at – the weird and unusual. It was like we'd stepped into the _Twilight Zone._

I fiddled with the radio which was playing some kind of orchestral number that sounded like we were about to walk into a Frankenstein movie. I sighed and turned it off.

"The radio around here sucks," I complained, looking over at Dean.

"Come on babe," he said with a sigh.

"I don't understand why we're still going to Oktoberfest," I said to him, narrowing my eyes. "We kind of have other issues to contend with!"

"And Sam and Jo are looking into it, there's not much we can do about it," Dean said, looking over at me with my own brown eyes. "We might as well look into this case. Jobs don't get much sweeter than this, you know? Dead vic with a gnawed-on neck, body drained of blood, and a witness who swears up and down that it was a vampire," he smiled, shaking his head.

"No, I – I agree. That's why I suggested it, but... don't you think we should at least wait until we're... back in our own bodies?" I asked, frowning.

"What? And let the trail go cold? You know better than that. We need to strike now, while the iron is hot!" He said, glancing over at me. "Besides, it might help keep our minds off our... errr.. predicament."

"Dean, _nothing on this planet _is going to make me forget about our _predicament_!" I said, shaking my head.

"Well, if nothing else, we can at least get rolling drunk and pass out, that'll help us forget," he said with a chuckle and I smiled. He did have a point.

"So how about a little more gusto? We can drink some beer, chop of some vamps' heads, and enjoy ourselves. Just like the good old days. An honest-to-goodness monster hunt. It's about time the Winchesters got back to tackling a straight-forward, black and white case," he said with a smile.

I leaned back in my seat and rolled my eyes, "Okay fine. You win; can we just find somewhere to stay the night? I'm tired Dean," I said and he nodded.

"Yeah okay, we'll stop at the next town all right?" He said softly and I nodded, sliding over to tuck my head against his shoulder. It felt kind of odd, Dean's head on my shoulder didn't fit nearly as comfortably or neatly as mine did when I was curled into his body. I sighed. I couldn't even get comfort from a simple snuggle.

* * *

_**The next day  
**__**Oktoberfest**_

**Dean's POV**

It was a bright and cheerful day when we arrived. I parked the Impala, eagerly getting out of the car and slipping my arm around Beth, urging her to the town square where there was a crowd of people. A band played under the gazebo in the centre of the square, lively polka music echoing through the surroundings. Tourists were taking photos everywhere, especially of the girls in barmaid costumes, and I chuckled, checking one of them out.

"Hey, we still got to see the new _Raiders _movie," I said to Beth and she looked at me a little guiltily.

"Saw it," she said.

"Without me?!" I said incredulously, following her into the square.

"You were in Hell," she said with a raised eyebrow, throwing back the Hell card at me.

"That's no excuse!" I said, shaking my head at her and she chuckled, nodding toward a food cart nearby.

"Oooh! Big pretzel!" I exclaimed and hurried to get us a couple. I had been right; this hunt was going to be good for us. "Thank you," I said, taking two pretzels from the vendor and passing one to Beth.

"Guten tag," a girl said, walking past, and she eyed Beth up and down with a smile. I paused. Did she just check _me _out?

"Guten tag yourself," I said around a mouthful of pretzel and she smiled at me, but her eyes wandered back to Beth as she walked away.

"Did she just check me out?" Beth asked, frowning. "Does that happen a lot?"

"Babe, don't pretend you don't notice it happening. It's not like it doesn't happen to you. Hell I've been checked out by at least three different guys on my way in the gate," I said and she snickered.

"Well you do look very commanding in that suit," she commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, because they're all wondering what is underneath it, that's why," I muttered to her, shaking my head.

"Oh Dean...are you jealous? You don't get jealous!" Beth said incredulously and I snorted.

"Uh, yeah. True. Not green-eyed-I'm-going-to-stab-your-eyes-out-with-a-fork jealous, but trust me, _I notice _when guys notice you," I said, taking another bite out of my pretzel. Beth seemed happy with this answer and smiled, nodding toward an older man a few yards away in a uniform, talking to some people.

"Looks like that's our man," she said, and she handed her pretzel to a kid running by who snatched it out of her hands with a smile and took off. I smiled and took another couple of bites out of my own pretzel while Beth led the way to the Sheriff, pulling her ID out.

"Sheriff Dietrich?" She asked, looking at him and he pretty much ignored me, which I found interesting.

"You from the Fed?" He asked, nodding at Beth. She flashed her ID at him and nodded.

"Agents Angus and Young," she identified us. "We called ahead about your, uh, problem."

"Right," the Sheriff said "Um... I'll tell you what, why don't we talk this out away from the crowd, huh?" He suggested and we nodded.

Ten minutes later we were standing in the morgue and the Sheriff pulled out a drawer from the wall, it held a body covered in a sheet.

"Marissa Wright," he said, pulling back the sheet. "Twenty-six, just up from Lockhard for the 'fest. Terrible. Just terrible. It's the last thing this town needs at peak tourist season," he said.

"Definitely the last thing Marissa Wright needed," Beth said with a tight smile.

I reached out and turned the head of the body, curious because this didn't look like a vampire attack to me. As the head lolled to the side I saw two dark puncture wounds on her neck. "What the hell?" I asked, frowning.

"Yeah, you got me," the Sheriff agreed. "I mean this killer's some kind of grade-A wacko, right?" He looked at the both of us as I exchanged a look with Beth; this was definitely not a vampire. "I mean, some Satan-worshipping, Anne Rice reading, gothic psycho vampire wannabe."

"Sheriff, in your report you mentioned a witness?" Beth asked and he sighed.

"Yeah, I wish I didn't," he said with a huff. "But our witness insisted. That's Ed Brewer. Not exactly what you'd call reliable," he said. "You'll find him at the local tavern," he added and we nodded. Time to go get a drink, and maybe some food, and interview the witness at the same time, of course.

* * *

_**Tavern**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean and I walked up to the bar and the first thing I noticed was the same barmaid from earlier in the day looking at me again.

"I remember you," she said with a smile and I looked over at Dean, and he raised his eyes in her direction with a pretty clear message that we were here to work, and that included charming the informants. I smiled to cover my raised eyebrow and leaned closer.

"And I remember you... uh... Jamie," I said, looking at her nametag. "I never forget a pretty... everything," I said, tossing her another one of Dean's infamous flirty smiles.

Dean coughed, frowning at me slightly over the lame pick up line and looked at Jamie. "We're looking for Ed Brewer," he said and Jamie turned stern eyes to him.

"What do you want with Ed?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, we are, uh... federal agents," I said quickly, flashing my badge and seeing Dean hold up his. "Mr Brewer was a witness to a serious crime."

"Wait a minute...you're a Fed?" Jamie asked in a disbelieving tone. "Wow, you don't come on like a Fed," she added and I looked at her, not knowing how to respond to that. "Seriously?"

Dean coughed and I tried to think quick, but serious? I didn't do pick-up lines! That was Dean's department! All I had to do was smile and accept the phone numbers... God! I didn't work for numbers! Being a man was hard work. I tried to think what Dean would do in this situation, since she was clearly more interested in the male goods, and leaned on the bar with a grin.

"I'm a maverick, ma'am. A rebel with a badge," I said, and she raised an eyebrow. "One thing I don't play by – the rules," I added with one of Dean's cheeky winks.

Dean tossed me an irritated smile which came off quite well for me I thought, and he stepped in. "Okay, maverick," he said with a raised eyebrow, turning to give Jamie one of my no-nonsense looks. "So, where can we find Mr Brewer?"

Jamie pointed to a booth a few yards away and Dean took my arm, pulling me away.

"Dude you suck at being me!" He whispered in my ear and I groaned.

"Shut up! I was caught without warning," I said and he shook his head.

"I on the other hand _rock _at being you," Dean said, adjusting his cleavage and plastering a smile to his face.

"Mr Brewer?" He said, walking up to the booth Jamie had indicated and looking down at the little man who was drinking out of a massive beer stein.

"Yeah?" He asked, running his eyes up and down _my body. _

"We're with the FBI," Dean said, and we both flashed our badges at him. "We'd like to ask you a few questions." Brewer nodded and waved us into the seat opposite him.

He uncapped the stein and took a sip, closing it again with a flourish of his hand before rubbing at his mouth.

"I told the cops everything I saw. No one believes me," he said, pointing at us. "Why should you be any different?"

"Believe me, Mr Brewer, we're different," Dean said with a smile.

"I spoke the God's honest truth. And now, I'm the town joke," he said, looking around at the people in the bar.

"Marissa Wright's murder is no joke to us," Dean said. "And we want to hear everything, no matter how strange it may seem." Ed looked at Dean, who was smiling at him the way I would to try and get someone to open up to me. _Damn, he was right, he did pull off a good me._

"And believe me," I said, looking at him. "We have a lot of experience with _strange," _I said, thinking about our current situation. Dean chuckled and nodded at me, and I felt his hand slide along my thigh under the table, squeezing it a little.

Brewer looked at us again, assessing, and then he nodded, taking another drink out of his stein, capping it once more, and wiping the foam from his mouth.

"It was just after midnight," he said. "I just left here, and like I do every night," he started to walk his fingers along the table and I raised an eyebrow. "I cut through the park across the road here, on the way home. At first, I thought it was a couple kissing," he said, hesitating. "But she was... struggling too much," he said softly, waving his hands in the air and staring at the top of the table as he recalled the event. "And this man, he was – well he was biting her neck." He raised his eyebrows and looked directly at me.

"Can you describe her assailant?" Dean asked and he nodded.

"Oh, he was a vampire," he said with a certainty.

"Okay, right," I said. "And by that you mean...?"

"You know, a vampire," he said, gesturing to me.

"Uh, huh," I said, glancing at Dean. "Yeah." I nodded. "So he looked like...?"

"He looked like a vampire," he said again, looking from Dean to me. "You know with the fangs, and the slicked back hair, and the fancy cape... and the little medallion thingy on the ribbon," he said.

"You mean like a Dracula?" Dean asked, the look on my face was priceless, he was stunned.

"Exactly!" Ed said, pointing at him and nodding happily. "Like a Dracula! Right down to the accent."

"The accent?"

"Yep," he said, cutting me off.

"What did he say?" I asked, curious.

"You know, something like..." He raised his arm in front of him as if he were wearing a cape, and looked at me. "_'Stay away mortal! The night is mine!'" _he said in a Hungarian accent. He dropped his arm and looked at us nervously. "You do believe me, don't you?"

I decided I needed a drink. I needed a lot of drinks. I needed to drink a bottle shop to get through the rest of this case, and without a word I left Dean to it, walking up to the bar where Jamie was standing, watching me.

"So, you got a beer back there for me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I don't know, Agent Young. You off duty?" She asked and I chuckled.

"And then some," I said to her smile. I was off duty and going to the motel for a good night's sleep. Maybe I'd wake up in the morning and this whole thing would be nothing more than a nightmare. She smirked and walked off to get the beer while I turned back to look Dean who joined me.

"So, what do you think? Goth, psycho vampire wannabe, right?" He asked as he joined me.

"Definitely not our kind of case," I said, leaning against the bar.

"Agreed," he said. "But who cares?" He asked as we walked over to a table. "Room's paid for, it's Oktoberfest. Come on, let's get drunk and have some fun," he said.

Jamie walked up and put a beer on the table in front of me and I raised an eyebrow at Dean. "Joining me?" I asked and he raised an eyebrow, looking at Jamie.

"Can I get you something?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Same as what she... he's having," he said with a smile. She nodded and walked away, throwing a glance back at me.

"Man, she has the hots for you," Dean said with a grin. "Wait for it; she's gonna say something when she gets back."

"I doubt it Dean, I've hardly been leading her on," I said, taking a sip of my beer.

"You know this would be the perfect opportunity to resume our phone numbers game," he said with a grin and I rolled my eyes.

"Don't you think we're getting a little old for that game?" I asked, and he snorted.

"Speak for yourself Tinkerbell," he said as Jamie put a beer down in front of him. He winked at her and that just seemed strange coming from my face. She shook her head and walked away, and I looked at Dean with a smug expression. No line, I win.

An hour later we were finishing up a few more drinks and I decided to get a bottle of bourbon to take away. The longer I spent in Dean's body the weirder things felt, and the sharp bourbon seemed to be taking away the edge I was feeling. I was now starting to relax a little and that was a good thing. Jamie had just brought the bottle over and deposited it on the table.

"So uh, I get off at midnight..." Jamie said, turning to me and I swear my mouth dropped open. "If you're still... off duty then. Lucy and I were going to go out for a few drinks, there's a band playing just down the road... maybe you'd like to join us?"

I smiled and squirmed in my seat, glancing over at Dean who was chuckling and taking a drink himself. He looked over at Lucy who waved at him and he winked at her. I sighed, only Dean could pull off flirting with a woman while in a woman's body.

"You know maybe we could... it's been a while since we've let our hair down, hey Be...Dean?" He asked, looking at me.

I stared at him, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. He couldn't be serious. I just wanted to go back to the motel room and drown my sorrows right about now.

"Uh, you know what, I don't know... we have an early start in the morning, new case in Ohio…" I said and Jamie looked a little disappointed.

"You're leaving?" She asked.

"Yeah," I said, "I don't think we're staying on the case."

"What? Is it too weird for you?" She asked with a grin.

"Not weird enough," I said as we stood up, and I dropped a large bill on the table as a tip. "Thanks for the offer, maybe another time."

When we got out the door of the bar, Dean slipped his arm around my waist with a chuckle. "Man you are such a tease!" He accused and I looked at him in shock.

"Me?!" I asked. "What about you? I can't believe the amount of women who _hit on you _every day. You're even wearing a wedding ring for chrissake!" I said, holding up my left hand and waving it around. "Is there no respect for the wife?"

"Hey, relax Beth, you know I'd never cheat," he said and I nodded.

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry," I said softly, shaking my head. "I'm sorry, I know it's just a bit of fun, and you know I enjoy the numbers game as much as you do, I'm just a bit weirded out right now."

Dean stopped us, pulling me to face him. I closed my eyes, hanging my head. "Hey, Sam and Jo are looking for answers right now," he said. "We're gonna fix this, okay?"

I nodded, I believed him, I did. But right now, I was less than confident in our success.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Beth's POV**

A short time later I stared into hazel eyes in the mirror of the bathroom, and took in the angular jawline, the stubble starting to grow on my chin. I was never going to get used to peeing standing up, that was definitely a new one and I shook my head. Sam better come up with a solution soon or I was going to go nuts. I took another sip of bourbon and swallowed it, my head was spinning a little, but right now it was preferable to being sober.

Flipping off the light, I stepped back into the motel room and found Dean, wearing my body, moving around the room completely naked.

"Jesus Dean, put some clothes on would you?" I said, shaking my head.

He turned to grin at me and it was just too strange to see myself looking back at me.

"Are you kidding?" He asked, looking at me and putting hands on his hips. "This is a unique opportunity, I'm going to take advantage of it," he said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, taking another drink.

"Yeah," he said, brown eyes meeting mine as he waltzed up to me, sliding soft, small hands along my arms. "You know you are one handsome son of a gun," he said and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah?" I said with a grin. "So uh, you're totally okay with kissing yourself? Because I'm telling you right now, I'm kind of weirded out by the whole _making out with myself _idea."

Dean shrugged, and then moaned as my long hair fell down around his shoulders. "God, that feels better than when you do it to me," he said. I blew out a frustrated breath, watching as he started to fondle his... my... breasts, and throw his head back in delight. "Man, women are awesome," he said, moaning softly.

"Would you just...stop doing that," I said with a laugh, shaking my head. I thought about what it felt like to have him doing that to me, when I was in my own body, and then felt the strangest sensation as my groin twitched. I looked down in mild horror as I saw myself starting to get an erection.

"Oh my god, nooooooooooooo." I said, and I'm sure I felt myself blush. Dean laughed and looked down at the bulge in the boxer shorts I was wearing.

"Oh you're loving it," he said, smirking at me.

I raised my eyebrow at him. "Hmmm, so are you going to do something about that?" I asked, and he stopped smiling.

"Uh, no. No, that would just be... weird," he said, shaking his head.

"This is what I'm saying!" I said, throwing my arms out. "God I just want to go to bed and cuddle, kiss you for a bit and fall asleep, but this is so … argh!"

Dean took the bottle of bourbon out of my hand and took a sip, looking thoughtfully at me. I gazed curiously at him, seeing a side to myself that I hadn't seen before. He always said I had a cute thinking expression, I had to admit, it did look a little cute. I reached out a hand to brush it through my long hair, finding it enticing and interesting. It reminded me of the time that I'd kissed Olivia, the succubus who had seduced us while we were on holiday in Tampa, and how soft her lips had been, so different to Dean's.

I leaned in to Dean, who was watching me with hungry eyes, claiming those soft lips, and then I closed my eyes. If I didn't have to see myself while I did this, maybe it could be a little fun. Dean moaned, and slid his hands around my waist, sliding them up under my t-shirt and I groaned at the lightest of touches across my skin. Everything felt so different.

It was just all a little bigger. My hands, my height, my lips and mouth, even my nose. I bumped it several times against Dean's as I leaned down, something that was strange again because I was so used to having him tilt my chin up to kiss me. I raised my hands to cup his cheeks and lifted his chin just slightly, opening up a whole new world to myself. It was like I was drowning, being pulled under by the soft sighs that escaped his mouth, sighs I usually made. But at least they were in his voice; with my eyes closed I could almost forget that I was in his body.

I moaned softly, claiming those lips a little harder, and gasped as I felt my arousal start to pulse between my legs. Okay, maybe I couldn't forget after all. It was heavier than I expected, though I'd never really given it much thought until now. As a woman I kind of just thought they stood at attention when excited, but now, attached to the appendage, I could feel the swelling warmth spread through my groin and into the head. It throbbed, almost moving slightly up and down to the pace of my heart beat and Dean brushed soft skin up against me through the thin fabric covering me and it was so deliciously hot and incredible that I groaned again.

"I don't have a problem doing this," Dean said, and he moved behind me, first tugging my boxers down until they hit the floor, and then taking my erection in hand and sliding it through his fingers. It was not the way I would have done it, but I moaned, leaning back against him, feeling soft breasts press into my back. He stroked me with the precision of a man who had been doing this his entire life and knew what he liked, what worked, and what he wanted.

My legs buckled a little and I shuddered, it felt incredible. "Oh god," I moaned, wondering how on earth guys did this standing up. "I'm going to fall over," I said and Dean chuckled, retreating a little and then pulling me to the bed. He pushed me back against the pillows, and now I could see him... _me._.. again I felt strange. "Turn off the lights," I said, and he looked at me curiously. "Come on... I'm going along with this, don't weird me out," I said and he chuckled, nodding. He reached over, flipping a switch by the bed and the room was plunged into semi-darkness.

I felt the mattress move and he lay beside me, taking me in hand again and focusing first at the bottom of the shaft, stroking at a firm constant pace, I groaned, sliding my arm around his waist and running my fingers along his back. When he gripped the head and started to flick a finger... no thumb... it had to be a thumb across the head I gasped for air, clutching at the sheets. "Oh God..." I moaned, arching up into him. He repeated the process over and over, and each time it just built on itself until I was continuously moaning... how was it he could keep quiet when we were having spontaneous moments late at night and didn't have our own room? This was torture!

I felt a pressure starting to rise and I tensed. "Wait... ohhhh... no wait," I said, pulling at Dean's hand and he let out an excited breath.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing," I said, grinning at him in the darkness. I rolled into the soft body at my side, sliding a hand along the sensitive skin at my hip and hearing a sharp intake of breath as I knew I'd just sent shivers down his spine. "I want to play first," I said. He chuckled and lay back on the mattress as I ran a hand along his stomach and then took a nipple in my mouth, sucking it softly into my mouth, eliciting a long, guttural moan from Dean.

I pressed my arousal against his side, rubbing it slightly and causing myself to moan while I decided to give him a little return fun. It was a little different to doing it myself, Dean's fingers were larger and his hands just felt different, but it didn't take long to slide a finger into that little groove, teasing his..._my_...clitoris to attention as Dean groaned again, tossing his head back.

"Oh baby, that feels... incredible," Dean said, grabbing at my arm. I giggled slightly, feeling a little nervous, but listening to Dean in the dark made me just want to bring him over and over again, so he could know what it was really like to feel a woman's pleasure. I slowed it right down, feeling my fingers slide through my folds, circling around my clit and then down to where I could slide a finger inside me just a bit, causing him to arch off the bed.

When his breathing became erratic and uncontrolled I knew he was close, and I focused solely on that hard little nub between my fingers, circling and rubbing, just how I liked it, the way I knew could bring the best release. I wasn't disappointed as Dean started to arch again, groaning loudly and gasping for air. "Ohhh, oh yeah... oh God that's... oh yes." He was panting and then I felt the wave ripple through him as his legs tensed and then he shuddered, rubbing up against me and grabbing the headboard as he rode out the wave.

Just as he thought I'd stopped I started to circle him again, this time slipping a finger inside him, causing him to thrust against me. "Oh God Beth... what are you doing?"

"You'll see," I said with a grin, and I pressed inside him, stroking along the flexing walls and then back up to the clitoris again. It was much faster this time, he was already excessively aroused and I knew what I was doing, it was my body after all and I'd spent so many nights imagining this with Dean as a teen, so many dreams.

Dean groaned again and reached out, clinging to me, rubbing his body against mine as I continued to stroke him, my hand pressed between our bodies. "Ah... oh really, oh yeah... yeah... oh Godddd," he bucked as another orgasm started to take hold, this one not as strong as the first, I knew, but just as amazing. I squeezed his clit just a little and he gasped for air before I stroked so very softly, teasing the release out of him as he started to rock urgently against me. Finally with a short shallow gasp he came again, whimpering at the touch and rolling back onto the bed, almost trying to escape my hand but I moved with him like he'd done to me so many times before, holding the pressure, enticing the release, until he grabbed my hand, stilling me.

"Oh God stop, it's too much..." he said, groaning. I giggled, feeling incredibly satisfied with that response.

"Payback's a bitch," I said with a laugh and he rolled, pinning me to the mattress with a kiss. From habit I let him because he was usually so much stronger than me, and I loved the feeling of him on top of me, he started to kiss up my neck and then I felt it. The soft warm liquid surrounding me, and he hesitated for a moment, positioning, before sliding down on me with a loud groan.

"Holy..." he muttered. "Oh wow," and I groaned my agreement. I'd never felt anything like it.

It was completely indescribable. Everything culminated at the head of the erection with the sensation of being fully enveloped by a warm, fluid glove. I gasped for breath, shuddering as Dean settled above me. I ran my hands up and grasped the breasts in front of me, squeezing them and teasing the nipples to attention, Dean groaned and started to rock which drove a wild current of pleasure down my groin and through my legs.

I felt a fine ripple of euphoria start to wash over my whole body as he rocked above me. I had to feel more. Grasping hips, I flipped us so that I was on top, and I was nowhere near as practised as Dean at that because I slipped out and he moaned his disapproval. I giggled and kissed him quickly, hovering over him.

"Patience," I said. "I have no idea what I'm doing here." That got a chuckle out of him.

"You and me both," he said, kissing me back. "But God just keep doing what you're doing, that felt amazing."

* * *

**Dean's POV**

Beth giggled again and started to run her erection along my groin, it slid easily along; everything was so wet and ready. Finding the entrance again she started to enter, teasing, thrusting in and out just barely, not going the whole way. I knew from experience how crazy that drove me, but it was just as incredible for a woman.

I groaned my excitement, arching up to meet her and I felt her slip further in. I grabbed her hips, wrapping my legs around her and arching again, hoping to draw her further into me.

"Don't stop," I said, moaning and rocking up to her. She hovered over me, supported by strong arms and I tried not to think about what we were doing here. It was strange, and I closed my eyes, just taking in the sensations, the feeling as if electricity was running through my entire body.

Beth moaned and started to drag herself in and out of me and at one point she hit that sweet spot and I almost jumped out of my skin.

"Holy... oh that was gooood... do that again," I said and she hesitated before sliding in again at the same angle. I arched, and grabbed her hips, pulling her into me. "Oh yeah, there, like that... God do that again," I said as she moved in and out of me. Good God that felt like nothing I'd ever felt before.

Suddenly she hit a point where I just had to push down, and a warm rush of fluid flowed from me, I gasped, grabbing at her shoulders, holding her close.

"Stop," I said quickly, and she paused. "I'm going to pee," I said and she laughed, kissing me.

"No, you're not, just relax," she said, and I frowned.

"Really?"

She giggled and I felt her kiss my neck. "Mmmhmmm, just relax, it doesn't work if you don't relax and let go..." she said, "I'm surprised though, I so have no idea what I'm doing and I'm already there?"

I grasped her waist and let out a long shaky breath. "Guess my body just knows where it's going..." I said with a moan as she started to rock into me again and she chuckled. She pressed deeper and higher into me, dragging across that sweet spot in the most excruciatingly slow movement. "Oh sweet mother of God," I groaned, panting and finally throwing my head back.

An intense pressure started to build and flow through my entire navel, I started to shudder, my legs shaking uncontrollably as I arched, bearing down on Beth as she thrust against me. The most primal moan I'd ever made was wrenched from me as I grabbed at the headboard again, holding on for dear life when a wave of ecstasy surged through me.

I would have passed out on the spot, but as Beth pulled out of me, cuddling up next to me I became intensely aware that she still hadn't reached any form of release. "Hey, why did you stop?"

She shrugged, curling in to me and it felt weird having her head on my chest when it was my own, and yet I just wanted to hold her like I always did.

"Roll over," I said, pushing her on to her back and climbing back over her. "You're not getting out of this one, you're going to love it," I said, and even though my legs felt like rubber, I was going to do this. I now understood what Beth meant when she accused me of trying to break her, and it felt absolutely freaking unreal, but exhausting at the same time.

I found the right position and slid down on her, sucking in a breath at how over-sensitised I now felt. I started to slide her in and out of me and when I heard her sharp intake of breath I knew she wasn't far off, she couldn't be, not with what she'd just put me through. I picked up the pace, sliding up and down, and as she started to moan, thrusting up to meet my rocks, I kept her inside me, grinding us just like I loved having Beth do to me.

"God Dean," she said, grabbing at my hips and holding me tight. I knew from experience the rush that would be building, the intense pressure like a geyser about to blow. She sucked in a shuddering breath, moaning and holding me tight and then it came, the jerking release as she thrust into me with the twitch and then a deep warmth that flooded through my...her...centre. She lifted off the bed, moaning and gasping, and then fell back against the mattress with a deep sigh, pulling me down and rolling us so that she could bury her face in my shoulder.

"Wow, that was new," she said softly and I chuckled. "Amazing..."

"Mhmmm..." I agreed.

She buried her face closer to my skin and I shivered as the feeling of stubble brushed across my skin.

"Okay, that... that is weird," I said, trying not to think about this whole damn body switch.

"Hmmm? Oh," Beth said, and then she giggled which made me smile. "God, we better come up with a solution to this soon, I'm not sure I can take being in your body much longer."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, much as that was incredible and… very informative..." I sighed. Nothing beat being in your own body. I rolled her over to the side and snuggled in behind. For once I didn't have a half erection pressing into her and that felt a little strange. It was going to take a while for me to get used to this. Hopefully I wouldn't have to get used to it at all.

"You think Cas could fix this?" I asked, kissing the back of her neck.

"I've been calling him, he's not answering," Beth replied.

"Hmmm, well keep trying, clearly he's busy, some guardian angel he is..." I said with a frown.

* * *

_**Next Morning**_

**Beth's POV**

My phone rang while I was brushing my teeth, and I quickly spat out the toothpaste and answered it. I listened as the Sheriff explained the situation to me, and then hung up, looked like we weren't leaving town after all.

"Hey Dean!" I called out, not getting an answer. I rinsed my mouth out and then walked back into the motel room where Dean wearing headphones and moaning away on the _Magic Fingers _bed while very unabashedly playing with himself. Well, _myself _more accurately.

"Serious?" I asked, crossing my arms and standing over him as his breath caught and he moaned. He became alerted to my presence and I shook my head with a grin.

"Serious, you started without me?" I asked, and he chuckled.

"Man, can you blame me? I need to learn as much as I can while I'm in this position," he said.

I sat down on the side of the bed, running a hand along the sheet, brushing against the soft skin underneath. "Oh I don't know, you do pretty good as it is," I commented, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but man... you never told me how it feels to be touched..." and he moved my hand, brushing it along the tender skin near my pelvis and just above my bikini line. "...here..." he said with a moan. "Man that's like... you never said how good that feels."

"Well gee Dean, there's so much you do that feels good, you want me to commentate everything?" I asked with a laugh.

"Hmmm, that could be fun," he said with a grin, leaning up to kiss me as I closed my eyes, trying to pretend I wasn't kissing myself.

"I couldn't think of anything worse!" I said. "You really want me to talk dirty to you?"

"Well, I didn't say talk dirty, just maybe be more like... descriptive on what's working for you," he said. "You know I'm pretty good at reading your moans but you're kind of quiet."

I raised my eyebrow. Years of sharing motel rooms with John and Sam had kind of necessitated the quiet thing, but I hadn't realised it was something Dean had an issue with.

"Really? Well you don't really talk that much yourself you know," I said with a frown.

"Yeah I know, but I'm starting to think maybe I should be," he said, sitting up and brushing a hand along my neck, sending shivers down my spine. "I might start by showing you now, while you're in my body, what it is that really drives me wild."

I pouted, starting to worry. "So, you're saying I don't satisfy you in bed?" I asked, looking over at him.

"What?! I didn't say that!" He said, moving over to sit next to me. "Oh no, that's not what I meant... I'm just saying... oh you know what, forget it, it's good, we're great, don't worry about it."

"But now I am going to worry! You know, things haven't been exactly simple on that front since... well... you know," I said. I left it unsaid, but we both knew it was out there.

"Since Hell," he supplied and I nodded. "Yeah I know baby, I'm sorry, I wish I could do something about it." He shifted and looked at me, haunted eyes staring back at me.

"I just wish you felt safe enough to talk to me about it," I said softly, looking down at my hands.

"I do, Beth, there's no one I feel safer with than you," he said, reaching out a hand and stroking my cheek. "You know, you're the reason I'm still sane here, you hold me together, and some of the things that were done to me..." he shook his head. "Baby, it's a testament to how much I do love and trust you that I'm even halfway okay with … anything."

The look was plain in his eyes; he was holding it together for me half the time, not just because of me.

"Sorry," I murmured, reaching out and squeezing his hand. "I don't mean to push."

"Hey... hey... you have every right to know what happened to me, you're my _wife," _he said, moving to kneel on the floor in front of me. "And I promise, if you really want to know, I'll tell you." I nodded, tears welling in my eyes.

"I just want to help you Dean."

"And you do, every minute of every day. I'll tell you everything, okay? Can we just wait until we sort out this damn body thing? I'd rather tell it to your face than my own," he said with a chuckle. I smiled and nodded, leaning my forehead in to his.

"Yeah, okay, whatever you want." I said softly and he kissed me again.

"I just want you," he said.

"Ditto," I said, stealing his line with a chuckle.

The phone call came back to mind and I pulled back with a sigh. "Oh, hey, we gotta get dressed... there was another attack last night," I said and he frowned at me.

"Another Dracula?"

"No, wasn't a vamp this time," I said, standing up and pulling on a my black pants from yesterday which I'd laid across the back of a chair.

"Well what was it?"

"Dunno, the Sheriff just said it was an attack," I said, pulling on my jacket and tucking in my shirt.

* * *

_**Cafe**_

**Dean's POV**

We met up with the vic's girlfriend Anne-Marie outside a little cafe in town. She was sucking on a straw in a large cup, watching us intently.

"And then it just – it just tore Rick into little pieces," she said, and she seemed pretty calm given the severity of the attack – I thought about the state Beth had been after seeing me shredded by Hell Hounds, as recounted by Bobby, and this girl was nowhere near as distraught.

"Ma'am we understand how hard this is," I said, leaning forward. "But can you describe the creature?"

Anne-Marie sucked on the straw again and then nodded. "Oh. It was a werewolf," she said very matter-of-factly.

"A werewolf?" Beth asked sceptically. "You're sure?"

"Oh yeah," she said, looking at Beth with big brown eyes. "With the furry face, and the black nose, and the claws and the torn-up pants and shirt. Like from the old movies."

"Um, well..." Beth said, looking at me with a raised eyebrow. This case was just getting weirder and weirder.

"Okay, so... thank you for your time," I said, smiling at her. She nodded and we got up from the table, starting to walk away. There was only one place left to go.

_**Morgue**_

Beth pulled out the drawer containing the last victim. "First a Dracula, and now a full-on movie-time wolf man?" I asked and she shrugged, unzipping the body bag.

"Ohhh!" She groaned, screwing up her face. "Whew.."

I grimaced. "Damn!"

"All right," Beth said, shaking her head and taking a pen to pick up some of the entrails that were sitting on top of the body. "Whatever did this wasn't a psycho wannabe," she said. "Look at those bite marks... right down to the bone. And deeper."

I agreed, nodding. "Strong enough to tear a healthy man apart limb from limb," I surmised. "Could be a werewolf."

"Yeah, except the heart's still there in one piece," she pointed out, and we'd had enough experience with werewolves to know that never happened. "They never leave the heart behind," she added.

"Thus I reiterate – _what the Hell is going on?" _I asked, shaking my head.

"Well I was hoping you could tell me," said the Sheriff and we looked up to see him walking through the morgue doors. "I just got a rush job back from the lab on those fibres we found on the body." He pulled a bag from an envelope and looked at us. "Canine. Wolf hairs."

Beth pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head and looked pained. "I'm getting a headache," she muttered. I could relate: I needed a drink, or three.

_**Tavern**_

Food. Food was always good when we didn't know what the hell was going on in our lives. Food and sex, but I wasn't about to push my luck with the sex thing right now, given the look on Beth's face. I took a seat at the table and reached out a hand, squeezing hers and she sighed and looked at me.

"What is going on?" She asked.

"I don't know," I said, sitting back and running a hand across my face. "Looks like we've stumbled on to a midnight showing of _Dracula meets Wolf Man. _ Is that it?" I finished off my beer and looked around the bar while Beth mulled over this question.

"I don't know," she said, "I mean, Wolf Man seems real enough. It makes Dracula seem a little less impossible, I guess."

"Yeah but werewolves don't grow wolf hair, that's just a myth," I pointed out and she nodded.

"Yeah."

"So, what? We've got a vampire and a werewolf monster mashing this town?" I asked. It would seem kind of out there if it weren't for the fact that we also had some damn curse making us run around like we were in a sick version of _Freaky Friday. _

Lucy walked up, eyes on me and smiling, which was a rare thing given that it was Beth that had been getting the attention from the barmaids – after all she was wearing my skin. "Looks like you guys are staying a while. I heard about Rick Deacon," she said.

"Yeah," I said with a smile. "This case just got weird enough for... our department."

"Well," she said thoughtfully. "Beers are on me," she said with a smile and I nodded with a smile back. I watched Lucy walk away and then turned back to Beth. "She seems nice," I said and she rolled her eyes.

"Dean, you think anyone who gives you free food or beer is nice," she pointed out and I chuckled.

"Yeah well, that's because they are," I said with a grin, and then my mind fell back to the case. "Hey, you think this Dracula could turn into a bat? What would be cool."

* * *

_**Several Hours Later  
**__**Museum**_

**Beth's POV**

The Sheriff had called us as soon as the third attack was reported. We found ourselves knee deep in Egyptian relics and one dead security guard. I knelt next to the sarcophagus that was on the landing, and noticed a tag on the coffin which I pulled off. "Well, this sarcophagus isn't ancient," I said, holding it up. "It's from a prop house in Philly," I said.

"Well... it goes well with the bucket of dry ice he was keeping in it," Dean said, holding up a little smoking bucket.

"Is he making his own special effects?" I asked, shaking my head.

"Yeah, a Mummy with a good sense of showmanship," Dean snickered.

"This is stupid," I said, crossing my arms.

"Yeah, no kidding, I think I need another drink." Dean said and I contemplated that, looking at my watch.

"Hey, tavern is still open if we hurry," I pointed out, and he nodded.

"Yeah, yeah good idea, I think I'm gonna need a whole bottle tonight," he said with a grin. "And maybe some fries… something greasy."

I agreed wholeheartedly and started for the car when the Sheriff stopped me. "I just have a few things to show you Agent," he said and I stopped, looking back at Dean.

"Yeah, you know, uh, my partner … he's... I mean she's much better at these things..."

"Yeah, yeah I'm sure she is, but you know I'd much rather deal with this man to man, if you get my drift," he said and I looked at him shocked.

"You know what, I'm not sure that I do," I said, crossing my arms and looking at him. He raised his eyebrow and then chuckled.

"Come on now, you know they only let them on the force as part of some equal opportunity BS... at the end of the day, they can't handle the job, you and I both know it. I mean, she might be a little fun between the sheets, but out here, where the killers are?" I almost slapped him, but Dean stepped up in my body, taking my arm and looking at me.

"So, about that... coffee run," he said, looking at me. "You want me to go?"

I looked at him and thought about how much I really, really needed a drink now, and nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I'll uh, I'll catch up with you once the Sheriff is done showing me his findings."

He nodded, looking at me sternly with an expression that was clear. _Don't start anything. _I sighed and pulled back inside myself. It wasn't like I hadn't heard it all before, but never quite so obvious. Did Dean have to listen to this kind of drivel often? I resolved to ask him.

* * *

_**Tavern**_

**Dean's POV**

I was about five minutes too late, the tavern was already closed. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. I was never going to get used to it being so long. I really needed that drink. I looked around, reaching into my jacket for the lock picks when I heard a voice with a Hungarian accent.

"Good evening," he said and I looked around to see Dracula watching me. He flicked his cape over his shoulder and looked at me with an intense gaze.

"Uh, yeah good evening to you too Drac," I said, slipping the picks back in my pocket and backing up against the wall. He took a few steps toward me.

"I have watched you many nights from afar. My passion knows no bounds, Mina. You are the reincarnation of my beloved and _I must_ have you," he said. I could have sworn my jaw hit the ground as he advanced on me some more.

"Uh, yeah that's nice, Drac. But I don't really swing that way," I said, looking at him and putting my hands on my hips.

"Oh, so you're into an alternative lifestyle?" Dracula asked me, and I realised I was wearing Beth's body, looking down at the suit I was in. "Yeah. Yes. Absolutely." I said with a nod.

"Well, I cannot accept that, you are mine!" He came within range and I shook my head, lashing out with a good right hook, catching him in the nose.

"Ah! Mary, son of a..." He cursed as I danced around him, getting my back to the alley so I could get away if I needed to. There was no telling what I was dealing with here. Suddenly Beth came hurrying up behind me, stopping short when she saw Dracula.

"Son of a bitch!" She cursed, looking him up and down, and I looked at her with a grin.

"Hey, that almost sounded like me," I said and she chuckled, shaking her head.

"You should not use such language in the presence of my bride," Drac said to Beth and she raised her eyebrow at him as he approached her.

"Okay..." she said, amused, and this time she was the one to punch him. Dracula reacted and I watched with a chuckle as Beth, in my body took on a fight with this guy. She overcompensated a few times with the movements, which didn't surprise me, our bodies felt totally different to be in, and that landed her up against the wall with Drac trying to choke her.

"You have no choice in the matter, Mr Harker," he said to Beth. "Mina is mine."

Drac said, trying to take a bite out of Beth's neck. He had her in a strong grip and I ran forward, grabbing the vamp's ear and twisting hard. Drac pulled back with a scream and I felt something give in my hand. He then fled before I could get my hands on him further.

Beth looked at me, breathing hard and then we both pursued him, running along the cobblestones of the alley as he leaped over a tall gate. I tried to jump up but couldn't get a grip and we watched as the vampire jumped on a moped and drove away.

"What the hell?" Beth asked, shaking her head. I sighed, pulling her into me and holding her.

"Are you okay?" I asked and she nodded.

"Yeah, but I could really use that damn drink now," she said, and I chuckled, pulling out the lockpicks.

"Me too sugarpie, me too."

* * *

_**Tavern**_

**Beth's POV**

"Are you sure you're all right?" Dean asked again after he got off the phone explaining our situation to Sam, and I sighed at him, nodding.

"Yeah Dean, I know how to fight you know," I said a little impatiently.

"Yeah I know, I'm just... man I'm not used to being the weaker one, it's usually me protecting you," he said. "I mean, it's so different, you're incredible, you know that? You fight as well as me most of the time, but you're nowhere near as strong."

I raised my eyebrow at him, pouring out a glass of whiskey for us both. "I'll take that as a compliment," I said with a grin.

"Well you should, it was meant as one," he said, sliding beside me in the booth I was seated at. He reached out, catching my face in his hands and pulling me into him, his lips locked on to mine and I moaned softly, God I loved kissing this man, didn't matter what body he was in.

When he finally pulled back I smiled, my heart overspilling with the love I felt for him, even when it was my own face looking back at me. "I do love you," I said softly and he chuckled, nodding.

"Only took a few days to get that out of you," he remarked and I groaned.

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm slowly getting used to this whole body thing," I said with a sigh.

"Hey, one thing at a time, we'll get there," he said.

"What did Sam say? Have they come up with anything?" I asked.

"No, not yet, the restaurant owner swears she knows nothing about any kind of enchanted cookies. They're actually on their way to us, which is good timing because they can help us get this creature and then we'll go back and find a way to fix this."

I nodded and he pulled out a towel, putting it on the table. "Meanwhile, I think I know what's going on with our mystery man," he said and I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

"Part of it, at least," he said, opening the towel and revealing an ear wrapped inside.

"Uh, ewww... the ear part?" I said and he nodded.

"Ripped it off Dracula's head when he was trying to bite you," he said. "Touch it."

I grimaced but reached out to feel the ear: it was all rubbery and flesh like, and suddenly it made sense. "Feel familiar to you?" Dean asked and I nodded.

"Oh God..."

"The skin of a shapeshifter," Dean continued. "Just like St. Louis and just like Milwaukee," he said. "Of course this one's all buckets of crazy. Oh, and, uh..." he pulled out a medallion from his jacket. "I pulled this off him too. Look at the label on the ribbon."

I read the label and then glanced up in wonder. "It's a costume rental," I said and he nodded. "Same place as the sarcophagus."

"I'd be willing to bet all three of our monsters are from the same critter. Which means we need to catch this freak before he _Creature from the Black Lagoons _somebody."

I agreed, taking a sip of my whiskey. "So... it's like he's trying to re-enact his favourite monster movie moments. Right down to the bloody murders."

"Wait a second," Dean said, frowning. "Who the Hell is Mina?" He asked.

"Mina?"

"Yeah, that's what he called me," Dean said and I chuckled.

"He called me Mr Harker too," I said thoughtfully and shook my head.

"Harker?"

"Yeah, as in Jonathan Harker?" I said, looking at him. "They're characters from the movies and novels. Mina... Dracula's intended bride, and Harker, the fiancee. Don't you remember the movie?" I asked.

"Hmmm, not really, I seem to remember sucking on your neck a lot during that one, I was distracted," he answered and I giggled. He had been very frisky that night, we'd finally managed to get a room to ourselves without John and found ourselves watching a late night marathon of different Dracula movies, now that I thought about it, I didn't recall watching the rest of that movie after Dean had moved from neck to other areas of interest.

"Seems like he's fixating on you," I added, drawing my attention away from those good memories. "Like he sees you as his bride."

"Wow, lucky me," he said with a grin. "But I can hardly blame him, I am gorgeous."

"Yeah yeah, smooth operator," I said with a kiss.

"Well it seems like I've made a good impression for him to be all fixated on me in just a few nights," Dean pointed out and I nodded.

"Hmmm, which means it must be someone we've talked to, or seen a lot of," I said and he nodded. I took another drink of my whiskey and grimaced. I sighed and laid my head back on the seat.

"You know, our lives suck," I said and Dean raised an eyebrow at me.

"Well look at us Dean, we tramp across the country on stolen credit cards, living from motel room to motel room, looking for a nightmare to fight..." I said.

He shrugged and grinned at me. "Some people paint," he said and I chuckled.

"I mean, we're giving up our lives for … for what Dean? Sam? It's a huge responsibility."

"Yeah, I know," he said. "And believe me, the last few years I started thinking that way, you know, after what happened with the baby... and especially when I went to Hell. And you know, Sam's treated you so badly..." I nodded, looking over at him. An almost haunted look came over his face and he stared down at his hands.

"But?" I asked, because I could see there was one.

"But when I got out... things were different," he said, looking over at me. "My life has been different. I realise that we help people, Beth. Not just help them, we save them. And that's … that's kind of awesome."

I smiled and nodded. There were days where I felt like that too, just not much lately.

"It's like a gift... like a mission," he said.

"A mission from God?" I asked, raising my eyebrow and he chuckled, nodding.

"Yeah, maybe," he said, looking at me. I smiled and leaned in to him, staring into his eyes.

"Couldn't you just be my gift? Not some mission from God?" I asked softly and he chuckled.

"Maybe I'm both," he said. I leaned in and claimed his lips in a soft kiss, my tongue seeking out his as I closed my eyes and ran my hands into the long hair cascading around his... _my... _shoulders. I tugged on it a little and he moaned as I deepened the kiss, drawing it out. Suddenly the lights came on and we broke apart, looking around warily.

"Oh! Agents!" The barmaid Lucy said, walking into the bar. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise anyone was here..."

"Lucy," Dean said, smiling at her. "We uh... we got here kind of late and really needed a... a drink..."

"It's – it's okay," Lucy said smiling at him. "You're FBI, you got your ways, I understand. I just – I came to borrow a bottle," she said holding up a bottle of scotch. "I kind of got something going back at my … anyway, you guys look really … busy... you know you got that whole Mulder and Scully thing going on, without the massive denial." I laughed, and Dean nodded, shaking his head.

"I'm just gonna get out of your hair," she said.

"No, hey, Lucy," Dean said, looking at her. "Why don't you join us, stay for a drink or two." I looked incredulously at him and he shrugged, leaning in to me.

"Well, she might have some idea who it is that's been hanging around fixating on me," he said softly and I sighed. He was right.

Half an hour later we were sharing a bottle of scotch and Dean had just gotten through repeating our encounter with Dracula.

"Oh Beth, that sounds just awful, are you okay?" Lucy asked, reaching across to touch Dean's hand.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," Dean said dismissively, looking at me. "Dean here, he just blew right in and fought him off."

"Well, I didn't actually fly," I said with a smirk, rolling my eyes. "Though maybe it seemed that way at the time."

"It was really, really something," Dean said, sounding a little sleepy and I frowned at him as his head lolled against my shoulder.

"Dean?" I asked, looking at Dean as he looked like he was starting to fall asleep sitting up. I shook my head; you know I was starting to feel a little fuzzy. Lucy frowned and then shook her head, brushing off the confusion of me calling _Beth _by the name Dean.

"So, Dean, are you like a black belt, or what?" Lucy asked, looking at me. I glanced down at my glass, frowning when it started to swim in front of my very eyes. "Well I guess they train you to fight at the academy or whatever," she continued and I realised we'd been had.

It only took me a second to react, and I lashed out, punching her in the face and knocking her to the floor as I pushed Dean out of the booth.

"What the hell?" Dean asked and then he noticed just how woozy he was. He shook his head, looking down at Lucy and I grabbed at him to steady myself even though he was the smaller body.

"It's you, isn't it?" I asked, looking at Lucy. She shook her head and then looked up at me, her jaw completely out of place from the punch. She reached up and with a hand pushed her jaw back into normal proportions. I kicked her, and she rolled backwards, getting to her feet easily.

"Oh, damn it!" I cursed as the room started to swim before me and suddenly there were three of the shapeshifters. "What did you put in the drinks?!" And I felt the room start to sway.

Dean reacted to that statement with a shocked look, grabbing the bottle of scotch from the table, smashing it open and holding it in front of him.

"You're the shifter?!" He said, and I felt my legs give out from under me. "That's all right," he said, "I'll skin you myself!" And then he collapsed, falling face first to the ground as I started to black out. The last thing I saw was Lucy looking down at me.

"And...scene," she said before she kicked me and it was light's out.

* * *

_**Dungeon**_

**Beth's POV**

I woke up strapped to a table that was in an upright position. I recognised it from a Frankenstein movie Dean and I had watched many years ago. In fact the whole damn dungeon I was in could have been the set for the movie. I also looked made for the movie, dressed in some kind of weird Oktoberfest costume.

"Oh, come on!" I muttered, fighting at the restraints, but they were tight and I wasn't going anywhere, even with Dean's strength. I looked around the room, and my eyes came to rest on a portrait of Lucy.

"She is beautiful, no?" Said a Hungarian accented voice as the shapeshifter walked into the room. "Bride number three, from the first film. She never got the acclaim that she deserved," he added, caressing the face of Lucy in the painting. "Which is why I chose her shape, her form to move among the mortals unnoticed. To listen to the cricket songs of the living. That is when I discovered my bride had been_ reborn_ in this century."

"You're joking right? You're not Dracula. You get that, right?" I asked, trying to remain calm. "Or even if you think you are Dracula, what the Hell's up with the Mummy?!"

He'd crossed over to me and in one swift movement he punched me, searing pain shooting across my jaw.

"_I am all monsters!" _He said dramatically.

"Life ain't a movie, you moron..." He punched me again. "Aah!" I cried out. That hurt like Hell.

The shifter moved away from me, acting like he was monologuing his own movie. "Life is small," he said softly. "Meager, messy... the movies are grand, simple, elegant," he added. "I have chosen _elegance!" _He said, flinging out his cape with flair, like he was a freaking bat.

I shook my head, looking at this creature, completely gobsmacked.

"You think _elegance _is the word for what you did to Marissa? Or Rick Deacon? Or any of the others?!" I asked as he wrapped the cape around him, covering his face.

"But of course," the shifter said, turning around. "It is a monster movie, after all." I smirked at him.

"You do realise what happens at the end of _every monster movie?" _I asked him.

"Ah. But this movie is mine! And in it, the monster wins. The monster gets the girl," he said. "And the hero, he's... electrocuted," he added, crossing to the wall where there was a large lever. "And tonight, Jonathan Harker, _you_ will be my hero," he said, reaching for the lever. I swallowed nervously, not liking the look of that lever and the talk about electricity.

"Wait, wait, wait," I said, as he got closer to gripping the lever. I struggled against the restraints, trying to work out how to get free of them.

Suddenly the doorbell rang and the shifter stopped what he was doing. "Please, excuse me," he said, flourishing the cape around his face and walking out of the room leaving me staring after him, completely confused.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

I woke up, still in Beth's body I noticed, and lying on a large four-poster bed. The room was large with antique furnishings and candles burning on several tables. My head was still a little fuzzy and I realised that the drug would be in Beth's system a lot longer than in my own body because she was so much smaller than me.

"You wake," said the same voice from earlier. Dracula. I glanced up to see him staring over at me, a few feet from the bed. "The gown," he said, gesturing to a white satin dress. "It suits your beauty. Please, put it on."

"Uh, yeah, I don't think so Romeo. Where am I? What have you done with Bet...Dean?"

"Harker is resting elsewhere," Drac answered me. "Please, put on the gown and you may dine. We are having pizza," he said, and he waved an arm across a dining table that was laid out with fancy glasses and silverware, only to have pizza sitting in the middle of it all.

"What?!" I asked incredulously. "What is wrong with you?" I said, shaking my head. "You … you come in, you pretend to be some waitress from the bar, and _you drug us?!" _

"I needed to know if you were the one," he said to me and I shook my head.

"You could try talking to people!" I said, as soon as I said it I couldn't believe I was even having this conversation. I had to get to Beth and make sure she was all right.

"Put on the gown," Dracula instructed.

"I said no, you pumpkin-pie-eyed crazy son of a bitch! I'm not playing your stupid game okay?" I said, starting to climb off the bed. The shifter moved quickly, faster than I expected and pinned me to the wall, looking at me crazy-eyed.

"_I said put on the gown!" _He yelled. I froze, suddenly feeling the vulnerability of being in Beth's body. He was stronger than me, and had the advantage because I was still feeling the aftereffects of the drug.

"Yeah, okay," I said quietly, my voice dripping with venom. As soon as this guy gave me a little space I was going to kill him.

I certainly didn't like the way Drac was eyeing off Beth's body, with me in it, when I finished changing and smoothed the dress across her hips.

"I – I scared you," said the shifter, dropping the accent. I looked around for a weapon while he talked. "You were the only one I don't want to scare. I used to love the movies."

"They aren't real, you can't make them real," I said, biding my time.

"'Real' is being born this way," he said. "Different. Real is having your dad call you 'monster' – it's the first time you hear the word and he tries to beat you to death with a shovel," he said.

I frowned, inching my way toward the exit. There had to be a way out of this room. I sure as hell wasn't going to be fighting in this damn dress!

"Everywhere I ran, everywhere I tried to hide, people found me, dragged me out. Called me freak, called me monster. Then I found them. The great monsters," he said, advancing on me, and I contemplated my options. "In their movies they are strong, they are feared, they are beautiful. And now I am like them. Commanding... terrifying."

"Lonely," I said, looking for my jacket which had to have my gun tucked inside it.

"Was lonely," Drac said, reaching out a hand to my face. I flinched, moving back. Christ, really? This was what it was like for girls to be hit on all the time by sleeze-bags? "Now I have you," Drac said.

I sucked in a breath. "Yeah, nice choice there bucko. You picked a married woman, what's up with that? Ever think that maybe you're lonely because you pick the wrong girl? Or maybe because you kill people?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Harker will be dead by morning, and he is not your husband yet, Mina," he said, returning to character. I sighed, and rolled my eyes.

"Dude you have issues," I said and then a sound echoed across the room.

"Did you hear that?" Drac asked, looking around. I used the opportunity to swing at him, catching him unaware. He staggered, but it hadn't been enough. He grabbed my arm, swinging me into a wall and everything went black.

* * *

**Beth's POV**

Footsteps sounded down the stairs and I looked up to see Sam come into the room.

"Oh thank god!" I said with a sigh of relief. "Just in the nick of time. That guy was about to Frankenstein me." Sam moved quickly and smashed the locks off the metal strapping holding me to the table. I turned to see him smirking at me and I frowned.

"What?"

"Hey there Hansel," he said with a grin and I glared at him.

"Shut up!" I snapped, "we need to find Dean."

"Still Beth I see?" Sam asked and I nodded, shaking my head.

"Yeah, and that freaked out shifter has Dean, _in my body, _somewhere in this dungeon," I said, pushing past Sam toward the door I'd seen the shifter use earlier. I gestured for Sam to kick the door down. He shrugged and lashed out with a kick, only to put his foot through the door, the whole thing falling over like prop from a set. He looked a little surprised and then shrugged again.

"Let's go," he said, leading the way down the hall.

"How did you find us anyway?" I asked and Sam glanced back at me as we walked.

"Some waitress… uh Jamie? She said she saw another waitress carting you out of the tavern."

"Huh," I said, curiously. "Good catch, how did you find her?"

"She was at the bar calling the police when we arrived, I followed your GPS," he said. "Your phone was on the table."

We came to a door in the hallway and I opened it, seeing Dean... me... unconscious on a bed. "Dean.." Sam said, stepping in through the door and crossing quickly to the bed.

"Aaah!" Dracula suddenly yelled, attacking Sam and throwing him through another fake wall. "You will never win Van Helsing!" Dracula proclaimed as I attacked the shifter from behind. He spun around, blocking my punch and pinning my arm to his side while he punched me several times. I felt him grab my chin and grimaced in pain from the force of his grip. "And you Harker, now you die."

I kneed him in the stomach, shoving him off me. "How about now you shut the hell up?!" I snapped at him and he glared at me, looking furious. He turned to see Dean's gun on the floor where it must have fallen out of some clothes, and I ran for it, but he was faster. He punched me, and threw me to the ground. Dracula raised his arms above his head, about to attack me once again when suddenly two gunshots fired across the room.

"Silver?" Dracula asked, looking down at his chest and then turning. I looked up to see Dean standing there in a white gown, the gun in his hands.

"It was beauty that killed the beast," Dracula said, stumbling toward him with an outstretched hand. "No, Mina, do not weep," he said and Dean managed to look horrified at the idea. Dracula fell into a chair, gesturing grandly and pulling his cape around him. "Perhaps this is how ...the movie...should...end." And he collapsed, dead.

"Beth?" Dean said, dropping the gun to his side and coming over to me. "Are you okay?" I nodded, getting to my feet in time to see Jo and Jamie come running to the sound of the gunshots.

Sam stood up and joined us, and the five of us stared at the dead shifter. It was only then that I started to realise that Jamie was unusually calm for this kind of a situation.

"You okay Jamie?" I asked, looking at the girl.

"Oh yeah, I'm good," she said with a smile. "I see you guys are too," she added and Dean frowned.

"What?"

"The whole little body swap thing, didn't stop you from doing the job, well done!" She said and I stared, my mouth dropping open.

"Who are you?" I asked, and suddenly she morphed and I couldn't believe my eyes. Standing in front of us was the Trickster!

"Why you son of a..." Dean pointed the gun at the Trickster and suddenly he snapped his fingers and it was like someone punched me in the guts. I doubled over, gasping for air, and when I stood up again I was wearing satin.

"Oh my God!" I said, running my hands over my body. "Oh God... thank God." I said, looking up.

The Trickster had moved behind us, and where Dean had been in my body, pointing the gun, now I was empty-handed. "Don't be thanking him sunshine, it was all me baby," he said with a cheeky grin.

"You did this?" I asked. "Why?"

"Well, you know, a bit of fun – especially when Dean said he knew you so well, I couldn't resist the change. A bit of an experiment to see how you'd handle being in each others' shoes. Mostly because … well because I could!" He said with a chuckle. Dean growled next to me and lunged for the Trickster, but he came up empty-handed too as the Trickster teleported to another part of the room.

"Wait, how did you hear that conversation?" I asked, not quite as kill-ready as Dean was. He winked at me and tossed me a grin.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," he said. "Well, all's well that ends well, hope you guys learned something. I think that second night opened up all kinds of fun possibilities, no?" He said with a wink, grinning away.

"Wait, you were... oh I'm gonna kill you," Dean said, starting to run for the demi-god again while Sam and Jo watched in complete shock.

"Dean!" I said, grabbing his arm, and God it felt good to feel the solid muscles under my hands instead of the smooth softness of my own skin. "Dean just let him go," I said, shaking my head. He frowned and when we looked up the Trickster was gone anyway.

"Like I have a choice," he muttered and I shook my head.

"Who cares..." I said, kissing him quickly, pulling his head down to me. "God who cares!" I said with a laugh, sliding my hands around his waist. "I have waited four days to do this."

"Mmm, true," Dean said, not wasting the moment and kissing me back, his hands moving to grip my hips. "You know this dress feels really, really nice..." he said, sliding his hands along the satin. "And we have that room..."

"Ahem," Jo said, rolling her eyes. "We're still here!" She pointed out, and then laughed, turning to Sam. "Well, mission accomplished. Maybe not in the way we planned, but I say job well done."

Sam laughed and nodded, slipping his arm around her neck. "Yeah, let's go get a beer, I think we earned it."

"Earned it?!" I called out after them. "Dude all you did was untie me and kick through a plaster door!" He waved me off and I sighed, looking at Dean.

Dean shook his head, pulling me with him as we followed Sam and Jo up the stairs.

"Feels good to be back on the job, doesn't it?" He asked me, and Sam glanced back, shaking his head at the two of us in our weird _costumes. _

"Yeah, it does," I admitted.

"The hero gets the girl, monster gets the gank, all in all, happy ending," he said, pulling me into him and wrapping his arm around my waist. "With a happy ending, no less," he said with a grin at me.

"Real classy Dean!" Jo said, listening in on the conversation.

"Hey, all I'm saying is, the shifter man had a point, you know? It would be nice if life was movie simple. Although if I was turning life into a movie, I wouldn't do this Abbott and Costello meet the monster crap."

"Yeah?" I said. "I know what you'd pick."

Dean chuckled, shaking his head at me. "No, you don't."

"Yeah, I do," I insisted. Did he really think I didn't know him that well?

"No. You don't," Dean said. "You don't!"

"Dean, we _all know _what you'd pick," Sam said, stopping and looking at us. Dean frowned and then raised an eyebrow in challenge to us.

"Porky's II," Sam and I said in unison and he looked at us in shock.

"What?"

"You heard us," I said with a triumphant smile.

"Lucky guess," He muttered, grabbing me and pulling me in for a kiss as the other two laughed and walked on.

"Real lucky guess," he said, kissing me again.

* * *

_**3 days later**_

**Dean's POV**

_A firm, demanding hand stroked along my shaft as I hung on the rack, I was powerless to stop it, and it was taking every trick in the book to keep myself from releasing. The demon that had been tormenting me leaned in and breathed a hot breath across my neck, and I heard Beth's voice whisper in my ear, telling me how much she wanted me, how firm I was, how hot I was making her. Only it wasn't Beth, she had never talked dirty to me in her life. I fought the whole experience, like I did everything else, knowing it would probably just be easier to let go and give it what it wanted, my final humiliation. But I couldn't just give in like that, it wasn't me._

_She sighed with frustration and I felt a hand slipping down my buttocks, a finger pressing insistently and making its way inside me. I groaned at the intrusion and shook my head. "You're a bad boy, Dean, and you know what happens to bad, bad boys," she said, her voice returning to her usual seductive tone. _

_I glared over my shoulder at her, but said nothing. She forced her way in, pressing against my prostate and I felt the undeniable pressure building inside of me, and then my member throbbed, pulsing with life that I didn't want it to have and I jerked from my release. "No..." I gasped, betrayed by my own body._

"_Oh yes... that's better," she said, coming around to face me, and it was Beth looking at me, her eyes flashing red. _

"_Although Dean... you know, I didn't say you could cum..." she pointed out and I glared at her as she pulled out her cat-o-nine tails, my eyes dropping to the pointed barbs at the end. It didn't matter what I did, everything ended up at this point. _

"_You are a very, very bad boy...you're going to need punishing."_

_I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable cutting of my skin as the whip cracked and thought about the real Beth, and why I was down here in the first place. It was all for her, and I'd do it a hundred times over if it meant keeping her from this kind of pain._

"Dean!" I heard Beth's voice urgently calling out my name and then she was shaking me, waking me up. I gasped for air, grabbing at her arms and looking wildly into the darkened motel room. We were alone, Sam and Jo off in their own room, and I looked at Beth feeling my heart race in the dark.

"Are you okay?" She asked, turning on a bedside light and running a hand along my back and waiting to see what I did. I nodded, pulling her into me and holding her tight.

"Yeah, yeah I'm all right," I said softly, but I didn't feel convinced. I looked out the window where the curtains hung open slightly and sighed, sliding my hand along her bare back. I recalled the conversation we'd had a few days ago and I settled back into the pillows, pulling her into me. She complied, wrapping her arm around my chest as I guided her head to my shoulder.

"Okay, you wanted to know about Hell?" I asked, taking a breath, and she nodded, turning deep brown eyes to look at me.

"Forty years," I said simply and she frowned.

"What?"

"It was four months up here, but down there... I don't know. Time's different. It was more like forty years," I said, taking a deep breath. She stared at me, tears building in her eyes.

"Oh Dean...oh God," she said, sitting up slightly to look at me. "Forty years? That's a lifetime!"

"I know," I said, reaching out to run a hand along her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned in to the touch.

"They, uh... they sliced and carved and tore at me in ways that you... until there was nothing left. And then, suddenly … I would be whole again... like magic... just so they could start in all over. And there was this demon... Alastair. At the end of every day... every one... he would come over. And he would make me an offer. To take me off the rack ..."

"If you'd put souls on," Beth said softly, looking at me. I frowned at her.

"Yeah, how did you know?" I asked and she bit her lip the way she always did when there was something bothering her. "Beth? What aren't you telling me?"

She started to cry softly, brushing at the tears running down her cheeks and sitting up on the bed.

"I saw it Dean," she said. "I saw a lot of it, in my dreams, every night something, some nightmare that you were being subjected to, and... once near the end, I went to Missouri and she took me to a man who opened a window, so I could talk to you."

I frowned, I vaguely remembered that, but it was so similar to the nightmares, to the many times they took her form to torture me. Only this one time she'd come looking for me, and it had been different.

"That was real?" I asked, and she nodded, sniffing back tears.

"It opened up some sort of a connection, Missouri said it's because we're bonded," Beth said. "I started to see you in my dreams, and when I was awake, everywhere I went."

I sat up, pulling her into me and holding her close. "Why do you want me to tell you then? If you've seen it."

"Because I didn't see it all, and … I don't know. I just know that something happened down there, something you're not telling me, and it's affecting us..."

"I'm sorry," I said, kissing her. "I'm so sorry."

"You said something to me... that first night," Beth said, looking at me. "You asked me not to hurt you. What did you mean by that?"

I took a deep breath, feeling her strength beneath my hands, the solidity of her body and the sensation of her in my arms. I was safe, I reminded myself.

"You had a run-in with Lust?" I asked, and she nodded, her eyes opening wider.

"That was the first week!" She said.

"Well, it felt more like four or five years for me," I said, sighing. "I hadn't seen you in so long... and they came, they brought you in front of me and they... oh the things they did to you while they made me watch."

"It wasn't me," she said softly.

"Yeah I know," I said. "Now. But then... I almost got off the rack right then and there, but something kept me going. You kept me going. And when they couldn't break me by breaking you... they used you. They had you come to me, torturing me with the most incredible pleasure, and then the pain started... the slicing, the dicing... there was no limit to their imagination."

Beth swallowed back a lump in her throat and brushed her hands along my back.

"Sometimes... when we're... you know. Sometimes I forget it's you, and I think it's a demon, and I'm back there in the throes of the passion they'd give, and it's soon to be followed with something so much worse."

"Oh baby..." she said softly, looking sadly at me.

I braved a smile for her, kissing her again. "It's getting better," I said, and I wasn't lying. It was. "I just need your patience with me, don't give up on me."

"I'd never give up on you," Beth promised, smiling and kissing me softly. "Today, tomorrow and forever, remember? I kind of meant what I said."

I chuckled; rubbing my nose against hers. My mind moved to a New Years Eve hunt before we were together, and something the Okami had said when we went into the back rooms of the club while hunting a killer – she'd said we were obviously soul mates. I hadn't given it any thought at the time, but now Missouri had told Beth we were bonded. Maybe there was something to that. "So... soulmates huh?" I asked and she giggled, nodding.

"Apparently so," she said with a grin.

"I like the sound of that," I said, kissing her again.

I forced the bad memories to the back of my mind, focusing on the woman in my arms and thinking about all the years we had ahead of us. I'd lost her for forty years, be damned if I wasn't going to make the next forty count. She hadn't run, she was still here with me. She was my everything, and the last few days had only shown me that we could work through anything together, just like we always had.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

* * *

The song for this chapter is:_Learn You Inside Out_ by Lifehouse

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this little twist to the story – _Monster Movie _has always been one of my more preferred episodes because of some of the witty remarks from Dean, but when adding in Beth there just wasn't a lot I could do to make it that interesting. Until someone suggested the idea of doing a body swap at some point and I thought – that's it! I had a lot of fun writing it, I hope you enjoyed reading it

* * *

As always, thanks to EarthhAngel for her beta reading and suggestions, we both had a good chuckle over this one

* * *

Next up is _Yellow Fever _probably my most favourite episode of all time, and I am feeling the weight of how I put that to paper, hopefully I can pull it off at least as well as _Bad Day at Black Rock _worked out in the end. We'll get to see a little more of Dean's time in Hell during it too.

* * *

Please leave a review and tell me what you thought – you know I love it!


	11. Yellow Fever

_Now this ghost in my bedroom it gives me advice,  
He promised one day that he'd teach me to fight.  
Now when I think that I'm alone, he comes up my way with a devil's smile singing,  
"This is now my home. You're my wish come true."  
When you reach that golden cloud, I'll be there with you._

_If there were monsters in the closet,_  
_Well, I don't think I would be surprised._  
_I hear them call out from my window._  
_They try and trick me to come outside._  
_(I won't let you down)_  
_We talked all day,_  
_I can't tell if he's real or a made-up version of her again._  
_Never alone 'cause I've got you._  
_Get this out of my head._

* * *

**YELLOW FEVER**

* * *

_I stared up at the vision before me, my hands running my over her stomach, grasping her breasts as I squeezed them gently, tweaking her nipples as I did. I was rewarded with a soft moan that made me twitch inside of her, turned on even harder by the little noises she made. _

_Groaning, I held her hips firmly between my hands as she rocked against me, rising up and off my shaft, then sinking down again with a rush that I met by thrusting up. God it felt so good, so right, and it had been so long. It had to be a dream, but I didn't care, if this was all I was going to get in the decades I had been down here, I'd take it. It felt just like Beth, it was perfect. _

_She smiled, leaning down to kiss me and I claimed her lips back eagerly, feeling her tongue circle mine with a soft sigh of contentment. The kiss turned urgent and she sucked along my lips as she quickened her pace, grinding against me. I threw my head back, closing my eyes as I felt my release building inside of me, I thrust into her and she met each movement with a moan, panting from how long we'd been making love._

"_Oh yes," she groaned, and I heard her breath catch as she started to shudder on top of me, her body trembling beneath my hands as I gripped her, moaning and thrusting a little harder into her soft spot gaining another gasp of pleasure. "Yes... oh Dean... oh yes... yes... yes... good Lucifer yes!" She called out as she spasmed, flexing around me and clamping down as she groaned loudly._

_Lucifer?_

_I opened my eyes and riding me was the blond haired beauty who had been tormenting me lately._

"_Ashmedai?" I asked and she smiled, rocking against me still, her legs firmly gripping me. "No!" _

"_Oh please, you were enjoying it, you want it. Cum for me Dean," she said, her white eyes staring down at me as she leaned down to lick along my neck and up to my lips. "You feel so good, you make me feel good..." _

"_Bitch, get off me," I muttered at her, stilling beneath her insistent grinding and fighting off my orgasm. _

"_It's time to go back Dean." She said, her white eyes looking me over._

_I realised suddenly that I wasn't on the rack, I was in a bed in my motel room, and I moved, taking advantage of it, pinning her to the bed and reaching for the knife._

"Dean!" Sam's voice brought me back to myself and I snapped to consciousness to find myself panting and pinning Beth to the bed while Sam had an arm around me, holding back the knife I was waving in the air.

"Are you back?" Beth asked and I gasped, dropping my head to her shoulder, nodding.

"Yeah..."

I released her and Sam stood back, taking the knife from me and peering down at the pair of us.

"How long has this been happening?" He asked and I buried my face in her shoulder while Beth wrapped her arms around me, running soothing fingers along my back.

"Since he got back," Beth said finally. "It's no big deal, it's getting better."

I wasn't convinced sometimes, but it had been a while since I'd had a nightmare quite like this one, the ones with Ashmedai always seemed to be worse than some of the others.

"No big deal?" Sam said, shaking his head and waving the knife around. "Why didn't you say something?" Sam asked and I rolled of Beth, sitting up on the side of the bed.

"Because you'll just go all Dr Phil on us," I muttered, shaking my head. "We're dealing with it." I looked at Beth, feeling my breath catch. "Right?"

"Yeah, we are," she said softly with a smile.

"You guys should get some help," Sam said, completely ignoring my Dr Phil comment.

"And say what, Sam?" I asked. "I'm having nightmares based on the time I spent in Hell and it's causing me to mistake my wife for demons?"

Sam opened his mouth and then closed it, shrugging.

"Like I said... we're dealing," I said, getting up and heading into the bathroom. I was up, might as well get in the first shower.

* * *

_**Rock Ridge, Colorado  
Morgue**_

**Beth's POV**

The Coroner led us into the morgue and unzipped a body bag, revealing an ordinary looking middle aged man.

"Agent Tyler, Agent Perry, meet Frank O'Brien," he said to Dean and me, and I gazed curiously at the dead body.

"He died of a heart attack, right?" I asked, and the Coroner nodded.

"Three days ago."

"But O'Brien was forty-four years old, and according to this, a marathon runner," I pointed out and the man shrugged at me.

"Everybody drops dead sooner or later. It's why I got job security," he said.

"Yeah but Frank kicked it here. Now, just yesterday, two perfectly healthy men bit it in Maumee. All heart attacks, you don't think that's strange?" Dean asked, looking at him.

"Sounds like Maumee's problem to me. Why's the FBI give a damn, anyway?" He asked curiously.

"We just want to see the results of Frank's autopsy," Dean said and the Coroner looked confused.

"What autopsy?"

"The one you're gonna do," Dean said with a smile.

A short while later we were watching the Coroner cut into Frank's dead body. This part always made me a little queasy but I sucked it up and tried not to appear like a wussy girl.

"First dead body?" The Coroner asked us, and Dean shook his head.

"Far from it," he answered.

"Oh good. Because these suckers can get pretty ripe. Hey, hand me those rib cutters would you?"

I took a fortifying breath while Dean picked up the cutters and passed them to the guy. There was the sickening sound of bones crunching as he worked away at the ribcage. I exchanged a nauseas look with Dean who tried to distract himself by looking down at Frank's left hand.

"Hey is that from a wedding ring?" Dean asked, indicating a clear line on the finger. "I didn't think Frank was married."

"Ain't my department," replied the Coroner.

"Any idea how he got these?" I asked, holding up Frank's arm. It was full of deep scratches on his forearm that looked red and bloody.

"You know what? When you drop dead, you actually tend to drop," the Coroner replied. "Body probably got scraped up when it hit the ground... Huh!"

"What?" I asked, glancing at him curiously.

"I – I can't find any blockages in any of the major arteries," he said as he broke off the heart and held it up. Dean looked a little green around the gills as the Coroner inspected the organ. "Heart looks pretty damn healthy," he commented and held it out to Dean. "Hold that a second, would you?" Dean's eyes opened a little and he nodded, taking the heart in hand. I smirked at him; glad it was him and not me as the Coroner cut further into the body.

Suddenly I was hit in the face with a spray of blood and I flinched. "Oh, sorry," said the Coroner, and Dean snickered at my facial expression. "Spleen juice."

"Yeah, thanks," I said, fighting off the urge to vomit all over the body. _  
_

* * *

_**Police Station**_

**Dean's POV**

We'd dropped Beth off at the motel to shower and change, and I picked up my other FBI partner in the process. Now we were just waiting for the Sheriff to get around to seeing us. Things were definitely amiss with this heart exploding thing. The different creatures that could do such a thing were running around in my head – witches for a start, I hoped it wasn't witches; they were just painful to deal with. I looked over at the young deputy sitting at the desk watching us and shifted uncomfortably in the chair, we'd been here for half an hour, what was taking so long? I wanted to get back to Beth and make sure she was okay.

Suddenly the door to an interior office opened and the Sheriff exited. "Hell's bells, Linus, have you seen my..." he stopped mid-sentence, seeing us sitting there. "Who are they?" Sam and I stood up, adjusting our suits and the deputy responded to the question.

"Federal agents. I, uh..."

"And you kept them waiting?" The Sheriff asked to a startled expression from the kid.

"You, you said not to disturb..." he explained and the Sheriff waved him off impatiently.

"Come on back, fellas," he said. We walked past the Deputy, following him to his office when he stopped us short, pointing to our shoes.

"Shoes off," he said, and I looked down to see his own already sitting outside the door. I exchanged a shrug with Sam and kicked off my shoes – that was a little odd, but then, people were odd.

Inside the office, we stood at the desk on the opposite side to the Sheriff. "Al Britton," he said, reaching out to shake our hands. "Good to meet you."

"You too," Sam said with a smile as the Sheriff gestured us to be seated. "Thank you."

Before taking a seat himself, the Sheriff grabbed a large bottle of hand sanitiser, slathering it over his hands. I looked at Sam with a raised eyebrow – nothing weird about that.

"Okay," he said when he was done, taking a seat. "So, what can I do for uncle Sam?"

"Well, we're looking into the death of Frank O'Brien. We understand some of your men found his body," Sam said.

"They did. Me and Frank, we were friends. Hell, we were gamecocks," he said and I snickered. _Gamecocks! That was funny! _The Sheriff gave me a stern look and I stopped smiling, feeling suitably reprimanded.

"That's our softball team's name," he said and I nodded. "They're majestic animals." I shrugged and looked over at Sam before the Sheriff continued. "I knew Frank since High School. To be honest, I just this morning got up the strength to go see him. Frank was... he was a good man."

"Yeah," I said with a smile. "Big heart."

"Before he died, did you notice Frank acting strange?" Sam asked. "Maybe scared of something?"

"Oh hell, yeah. Real jumpy," he said with a nod.

"You know what scared him?" Sam asked.

"No. Wouldn't answer his phone. Finally, I sent some of my boys over to check on him, and well, you know the rest," he said. He started coughing into his hand and grabbed the hand sanitiser again, applying a thick layer to his hands.

"So, why do the Feds give a crap? You don't really think there's a case here?" He asked and I looked at Sam then shook my head.

"No, no. It's probably nothing. Just a heart attack," I replied with a smile.

Beth was waiting outside on the steps, all freshly showered and changed, when we walked out and she looked up curiously as we got closer.

"No way that was a heart attack," I said to Sam as soon as we were in hearing range of her.

"Definitely no way. Three victims, all with those same red scratches. All went from jittery to terrified to dead within forty-eight hours," Sam answered.

"Something scared them to death?" Beth asked and Sam nodded.

"All right, so what can do that?" He asked.

"What can't?" I asked. "Ghosts, vampires, chupacabras? It could be a hundred things," I commented.

"Yeah," Sam conceded. "So, we make a list and start crossing things off."

"All right," I said with a nod. "Who's the last person to see Frank O'Brien alive?"

"His neighbour, Mark Hutchins," Beth said, starting to walk toward the Impala. I grabbed her arm, staring at a group of delinquents on the pavement.

"Hang on, hang on," I said, pulling her back to me.

"What?" She asked, looking at me with a frown. I turned her back toward Sam, and leaned in to speak to them.

"I don't like the looks of those teenagers down there," I said. Sam and Beth looked back at the delinquents who were clearly looking for trouble, hanging around my car. "Let's walk this way," I said, guiding Beth across the road and around the long way so we could approach from the back where the teenagers weren't watching.

Sam hesitated watching us go and Beth frowned, shaking her head at me. I wasn't taking no for an answer though, it was my job to keep them safe, and that's what I was doing.

* * *

_**Mark Hutchins' house**_

**Beth's POV**

Mark Hutchins was a large man with a receding hairline, bald spot on the crown of his head and a medium sized snake wrapped around his neck. The whole house was a menagerie of reptiles, lizards, snakes and other assorted animals, I found it fascinating.

"Tyler, Perry and Kramer," said Mark to Dean with a smile. "Just like Aerosmith," and I internally groaned. Dean had to stop using these ridiculous aliases.

"Yeah, small world," I said with a smile and Mark looked at me, nodding. "So, the last time you saw Frank O'Brien?" I asked leaning forward a little from the couch I was seated on. Dean was fidgeting next to me, staring at a large lizard in a cage, and I tried to ignore him, it wasn't like Dean to weird out over reptiles.

"Monday," Mark said, looking out the window. "He was watching me from his window. I waved at him, but he just closed the curtains."

"Hmm. Did you speak to him recently?" Sam asked. "Did he seem different? Uh, scared?"

"Oh, totally. He was freaking out," Mark said with a nod. I looked over at Dean and he was starting to sweat, looking a little freaked out himself his eyes locked on a tank that housed a small alligator.

"Do you know, uh... do you know what scared him?" Dean asked, turning back to Mark.

"Well, yeah, witches," Mark replied and we all looked at him sharply.

"Witches?" Sam asked. "Like...?"

"Well, _Wizard of Oz _was on TV the other night, right? And he said that green bitch was totally out to get him," Mark replied, and I frowned. That seemed a little odd, not quite the witches we were thinking of.

"Anything else scare him?" I asked.

"Everything else scared him," Mark said, looking at me. "Al-Qaeda, ferrets, artificial sweetener. Those pez dispensers with their dead little eyes. Lots of stuff," he said with a shrug. Dean looked around again, his eyes watching all the animals in the aquariums and Sam leaned forward slightly.

"So, tell me. What was Frank like?" He asked.

"I mean, he's dead, you know? I – I don't want to hammer him, but... he got better." Mark said.

"He got better?" I asked.

"Well, in High School he was, he was a dick," Mark said.

"A dick?" Sam asked.

"Like a bully. I mean, he probably taped half the town's butt cheeks together..." he said as Dean snickered and I looked incredulously at him.

"Mine included," Mark added, looking at Dean with a frown.

"So he pissed a lot of people off. You think anyone would have wanted to get revenge?" Dean asked, covering for the snicker.

"Well, I don't... Frank had a heart attack, right?" he asked, looking confused.

"Just answer the question, sir," Sam said.

"No, I don't think so. Like I said, he got better. And after what happened to his wife..."

"His wife?" I asked, looking up. "So he was married?"

"She died about twenty years ago. Frank was really broken up about it," Mark said with a nod. I glanced over at Dean and he was staring at the snake around Mark's neck. Mark also noticed and chuckled.

"Don't be scared of Donny. He's a sweetheart," he said with a grin. "It's Marie you got to look out for," he said, nodding at the couch where an albino snake's head had crept up over the couch behind me, next to Dean's shoulder. "She smells fear," Mark added and Dean looked completely freaked out, his face going red and he stopped moving, holding his breath as the snake crawled down his lap.

* * *

_**County Clerk's Office**_

**Beth's POV  
**

Dean was waiting in the car for me while I did some background research in the county clerk's office. It was starting to get late and I was hungry, Dean was still acting jittery and I was starting to wonder if perhaps it was related to the nightmare from yesterday. It wouldn't have been the first time I'd woken up to that knife pressed at my throat, but I had woken up, that said something.

I skipped down the steps, pausing as I hit the pavement to look across the road where Dean was fidgeting in the car. I contemplated what must be going through his head as I crossed the road, rounding to the passenger side and climbing in.

"Hey," he said, scratching at his arm. "Any luck?"

"I'm not sure I'd call it luck," I answered, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. "Frank's wife Jessie was a manic depressive. She went off her meds back in '88 and vanished. They found her two weeks later, three towns over. Strung up in her motel room, suicide." He grimaced.

"Any chance Frank helped her along to the other side?"

"No, Frank was working the swing shift when she disappeared. Airtight alibi," I replied as Sam arrived, getting in the back seat.

Dean started the car and nodded at Sam, pulling out into the street.

"How was Frank's pad?" Dean asked Sam, looking in the mirror and then quickly turning his eyes back to the road.

"Clean. Searched it top to bottom. No EMF, no hex bags, no sulphur," Sam replied, sitting back in his seat.

"So probably no ghosts, no witches, no demons," I said and Dean sighed.

"Three down, and ninety-seven to go," he muttered.

"Yeah," I said, nodding and looking out the window. We were driving incredibly slow, even Sam didn't drive this slow. I glanced over at the speedometer and frowned.

"Dean," I said, looking at him. "Baby you're going 20."

"And?" He asked.

"That's the speed limit," Sam pointed out. Dean rarely did the speed limit, he rarely slowed down for anything unless he was looking for a place to park and make out.

"What? Safety's a crime now?" Dean asked. Now that did not sound like Dean at all, I glanced back at Sam who shrugged at me, indicating that he didn't know what was happening with Dean either. I sighed softly and sat back in my seat, looking forward to getting back to the motel room so I could take another nice hot shower. My eyes hit upon the motel and then I turned my head as we kept driving past it.

"Dean, where are you going?" I asked. "That was our motel."

"Beth, I'm not gonna make a left-hand turn into oncoming traffic. I'm not suicidal!" Dean declared, turning incredulous eyes toward me.

I looked around at Sam, throwing him a concerned look and he sat forward with a confused look of his own.

"Did I just say that? That was kind of weird," Dean added, and I nodded. There was a whirring sound that came from Sam and we all looked up quickly.

"Do you hear something?" I asked and Sam frowned, pulling the EMF reader out of his jacket and looking at it curiously. He moved it closer to Dean and it started to register, whirring and clicking.

Dean looked a little freaked, his eyes opening wider as he first glanced at the reader and then back at the road, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "Am I haunted?" He asked, looking back at me. "Am I haunted?!"

* * *

_**Motel  
Next Morning**_

**Dean's POV**

The feel of the leather seat beneath my back was a comfort. I lay in the front of the Impala, turning up the tunes of _Eye of the Tiger _so that I could drown out the incessant worry in my mind. I was safe in this car, nothing could get me. The beat carried me to a good place and I started drumming in the air, letting it wash over me. It was better than the alternative, which meant going…_inside._

Someone banged on the roof of the car and I felt my heart jump out of my chest, sitting up quickly to confront whoever it was. Beth smiled in at me and handed me a box of donuts, which she'd clearly bought for breakfast. I turned off the stereo, setting the donuts aside and got out of the car, showing her my arm: it was starting to worry me even more.

"Beth, look at this," I said, pulling up my shirt. Red marks were starting to appear in my forearm, and they itched like crazy, all I wanted to do was scratch at them. She looked sympathetically at them and then over at Sam as he walked up.

"I just talked to Bobby," he said, ignoring the marks on my arm.

"And?" I asked, picking up the donuts Beth had brought me and smelling them. They smelled off, definitely something wrong with them. I couldn't eat these, no matter how good an idea my stomach thought it was, they had to be a week old! I might get food poisoning and die a horrible death! I tossed them back in the car and noted that Beth raised her eyebrow at me, but said nothing.

"Um, well you're not gonna like it," Sam said.

"What?" Beth asked, looking at him with a frown.

"It's ghost sickness," Sam declared and I raised an eyebrow.

"Ghost sickness?" I asked sceptically. Whoever had heard of such a thing? He had to be making it up.

"Yeah," Sam said with a nod.

"God, no," I said mockingly at his serious face.

"Yeah."

"I don't even know what that is!" I pointed out, rolling my eyes. What the hell was going on here?

"Okay," Sam said with a sigh, looking from me to Beth. "Some cultures believe that certain spirits can infect the living with a disease, which is why they stopped displaying bodies in houses and started taking them off to funeral homes," he said.

"Okay, get to the good stuff," I said, not liking the sound of where this was going.

"Symptoms are, you get anxious," he said.

"Yeah," I said with a nod. I was definitely anxious.

"Then scared, then really scared, then your heart gives out. Sound familiar?" He asked.

"Yeah, but Sam, we haven't seen a ghost in weeks," Beth said, reaching a hand out to lay it comfortingly on my shoulder.

"Well I doubt he caught it from a ghost," Sam said. "Look, once a spirit infects that first person, ghost sickness can spread like any sickness through a cough, a handshake, whatever. It's like the flu. Now Frank O'Brien was the first to die, which means he was probably the first infected. Patient zero."

"Our very own outbreak monkey," I said grimly.

"Right. Get this Frank was in Maumee over the weekend. Softball tournament. Which is where he must have infected the other two victims."

"Were they Gamecocks?" I asked with a grin, man that was a stupid name for a softball team.

"Cornjerkers," Sam said and I snickered. That was even worse.

"So, ghost infected Frank. He passed it on to the other guys and Dean got it from his corpse?" Beth asked, frowning and contemplating the situation.

"Right," Sam said.

"So now what, I have forty-eight hours before I go insane and my heart stops?!" I asked, starting to feel it beating faster just at the idea.

"More like 24," Sam said.

"Super," I said, squeezing Beth's hand which had gone very still on my shoulder.

"Yeah."

"Well, why me? Why not Beth? I mean, she got hit with the spleen juice," I pointed out.

"Yeah, um, you see Bobby and I have a theory about that too. Turns out all three victims shared a certain, uh, personality type. Frank was a bully. The other two victims: one was a vice principal, the other was a bouncer."

"Okay…" I said, shrugging. I didn't get it.

"Basically they were all dicks," Sam pointed out.

"So you're saying I'm a dick?" I asked incredulously.

"No, no, no. It's not just that. All three victims used fear as a weapon, and now this disease is just returning the favour," Sam said.

"I don't scare people," I scoffed.

"Dean, all we do is scare people," Beth pointed out. "You know, we pretend we're FBI, CIC, Homeland Security… we bully our way into situations, we put the fear of God into people so they'll tell us the truth of what's going on…"

I looked at her and frowned. "Okay, well then, you're a dick too," I said to her and even saying it sounded ridiculous. She chuckled, leaning in to kiss me softly.

"Apparently, I'm not," she said with smile.

I sighed; no way would I call her a dick, she was right. I just didn't see it, hadn't I been through enough in Hell as payback for all the dick-like things I did?

"Whatever. How do we stop it?" I asked, looking up at Sam.

"We gank the ghost that started all this. We do that, the disease should clear up," he said.

"You thinking Frank's wife?" Beth asked.

"Who knows why she killed herself, you know?" Sam asked, and then he looked at me. "Hey what are you doing waiting out here, anyway?" He questioned, and I glanced up at the floor our room was on. A sick feeling washed over my stomach and I shuddered.

"Our room's on the fourth floor," I said. Sam and Beth looked up at the floor and then back at me. "It's… it's high," I said to Beth with a sigh and she shook her head with a patient sigh, leaning in to kiss my cheek.

"I'll see if I can move us down to the first," she said softly.

"Thanks," I said, smiling at her.

"Sure," she said, pulling away and walking toward the office. I watched her, a sense of panic starting to rise in my chest. She was so good to me, what would I do without her? I didn't even want to think about it. As soon as she got back, I wasn't going to let her out of my sight.

Sam reached in the window and picked up the box of donuts, taking one and eating it. He offered the box to me and I stared in horror. He was going to get sick! I shook my head; closing the box and tossing them back in on the seat. He might feel like dancing with salmonella, but I certainly wasn't going to risk it.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Beth's POV**

I'd managed to get us a room on the first floor, much to Dean's relief and now we were reading up on ghost sickness with a few books that we'd gotten from the library in town. Dean was following me everywhere like a lost puppy, and while it was cute at first, when he'd wanted to come into the bathroom with me when I had to pee, I'd had to lay down the law.

Walking back into the room five minutes later, Dean was staring at the wall clock with a deadly look. He smiled at me and then went back to reading his book, blinking and coughing. I paused as he started to breathe a little faster and then without warning he got up and smashed the clock on the floor, causing me to jump.

"Dean!"

"Sorry…" he said. "It was driving me insane!" He crossed over, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me in close, burying his face against my shoulder. I pulled him tightly against me, sighing softly with worry.

"It's gonna be okay Dean," I promised, stroking his back as he let out a shaky breath.

I led him back to the couch, seating him and then moving toward the fridge. He grabbed my hand, looking anxiously at me and I leaned in to kiss him. "I'm coming right back," I promised and he nodded, letting me go.

I crossed to the fridge and pulled out a beer, cracking it open and taking it back to him. Dean accepted it with a smile and then pulled me down beside him. I picked up the book I'd discarded on the coffee table before going to the bathroom and started to read again while he sat comfortably next to me, feet resting on the coffee table and sipping at his beer.

The door opened and Sam entered, taking in the scene of the broken clock on the floor and the pair of us on the couch.

"Everything all right?" He asked cautiously.

"Oh yeah," Dean answered, taking another sip of beer. "Just peachy. Find anything?"

"Yeah. Jessie O'Brien's body was cremated, so I'm pretty sure she is not our ghost," Sam said, dropping into an armchair and putting his feet up on the table. Dean had started to pick at his arm again and it was bleeding. I reached out a hand to stop him.

"Hey, stop picking at that," I said softly and he pulled his hand back with a sigh.

"How are you feeling?" Sam asked, looking at Dean with concern.

"Awesome. It's nice to have my head on the chopping block again. I almost forgot what that feels like," he said and I grimaced.

"Yeah," Sam said with a sigh. I was starting to feel a little panicked myself. Why was it always Dean who was facing death? Seemed like he did it more than any of us, and then I thought about the angel wars and I frowned. Okay, so maybe we all did a little.

"It's freaking delightful," Dean continued, taking another sip of his beer.

"We'll keep looking," Sam said as Dean started to cough, gagging a little.

"Dean? Baby you okay?" I asked, twisting in my seat to look at him, my heart starting to race with alarm when I realised he was choking. "Dean?!"

Dean jumped off the couch, moving to the sink where he gagged and then spat out an object. It was too much like the time the witches had cursed him for my liking, I watched helplessly just like I had then, wondering if this was going to be the thing that finally took him from me.

He settled down once the object was out though and I rubbed his back while he grabbed at the item in the sink, rinsing it under the tap: it was a woodchip and we all frowned, looking at it.

"We've been completely ignoring the biggest clue we have: you," Sam said with a smile.

"I don't want to be a clue," Dean complained and I wholeheartedly agreed.

"The abrasions, this, the disease, it's trying to tell us something."

"Tell us what? Wood chips?" I asked shortly, feeling the frustration of not being able to do anything seep into my bones.

"Exactly," Sam said with a smug smile and I wanted to hit him, why wasn't he as panicked as the rest of us?

* * *

_**Lumber Mill**_

**Sam's POV**

This had to be it. There was no other explanation. I felt certain that we would get our answers here. Dean looked up at the mill apprehensively when we arrived, clearly not happy about going inside.

"I'm not going in there," he said and I sighed.

"Then stay here. Beth can be my back-up," I said and he looked a little panicked, glancing over at her.

"No! I mean… uh, you're not leaving me out here by myself," he said, setting his shoulders with a nod. He pulled out a bottle of whiskey and took a long drink from it, sighing and smiling as he capped it again. "Let's do this," he said. "It is a little spooky, isn't it?" He asked Beth as she walked up to him.

She smiled and handed him a gun, and I watched, amused as he recoiled. "Oh, I'm not carrying that. It could go off," he said, grabbing at the flashlight and holding it to his chest. "I'll man the flashlight," he declared.

I sighed, rolling my eyes as Beth tucked the extra gun into the waistband of her jeans, giving Dean and incredibly patient look – I didn't know how she did it, he was driving me insane.

"You do that," I said, shaking my head.

Once inside the EMF reader started to go off, and I realised that Dean was standing next to me. He chuckled, looking a little chagrined. "EMF's not gonna work with me around, is it?"

"You don't say," I said with a shake of my head. "Come on."

"Wait…" Beth said suddenly and Dean startled, looking at her with wide eyes. She leaned down to pick up something off the floor, and when she stood up she was holding a wedding ring. She held it up to the light and read the inside inscription.

"'To Frank. Love, Jessie'. Frank O'Brien's ring," she said, looking up at me.

"What the hell was Frank doing here?" Dean asked and I shrugged.

"No idea."

I led the way through the tea room, down a hallway and into a locker room. Clearly this was where all the employees kept their things. It was dark and dingy, and appeared like it hadn't been updated in decades.

There was some rustling in one of the lockers and I glanced at Beth who nodded, moving to flank the locker with a nod. I counted to three and opened the locker and a cat jumped out, meowing at us. Dean let out an ear-piercing shriek and then screamed, jumping back and stumbling toward the exit. He continued to scream until the cat ran away and then looked sheepishly at Beth and me.

"That was scary!" He said with a grin. I sighed, shaking my head and walking away. "Wait!" Dean called out, rushing to follow as he took Beth's hand, holding it tightly. I led us further down the hallway into a little office that was in complete disarray and looked like it hadn't been used in years. Paper was scattered all over the dirt floor.

Beth led Dean over to a table where there was a bunch of old drawings plastered on the wall. Dean was diligently doing his duty at manning the flashlight while Beth sorted through the papers. She picked up a card, looking at it.

"Luther Garland," she said quietly, shrugging. Dean was looking at one of the pictures.

"Hey this is uh… this is Frank's wife," he said, pulling out a news article with a photo of Jessie in it.

"Plot thickens," I said, joining them.

"Yeah, but into what?" Beth asked, frowning at the drawing.

I reached out to tear one of the pictures off the wall and suddenly one of the machines turned on, whirring to life without anyone having done a thing. Dean jumped at the noise, shining the flashlight around looking for something, anything that might have caused the machine to go off. I frowned and looked at him, he was totally freaking out. Dean was staring behind me, looking terrified and I turned to see what he was looking at.

There was a figure in the corner of the room, facing in and hunched over. I hesitated and Beth moved up beside me, watching curiously. "Hey!" I called out, and the man flinched.. Dean was backing away from the scene and I glanced back at him just in time to see Dean running out the door.

The person turned around and Beth caught her breath, he looked menacingly at us, abrasions all over his bald head. He ran at Beth and me, and I lifted the shotgun and fired, he disappeared into thin air.

"Guess we got the right place," I said and she nodded, turning to lead us back outside. I followed her back to the Impala where we found Dean crouched behind the trunk, chugging down the remainder bottle of whiskey in his hands. Beth reached out, taking the bottle from him and smoothing a hand across his forehead and he seemed to relax a little.

"Hey," she said, crouching in front of him. "You okay?" He shook his head, looking like a big cry baby at her. I rolled my eyes, she was way too good to him, he needed to be pulled up and set straight. Fancy running out on us in the middle of a hunt. No wonder he was always getting in trouble, these two were as co-dependent as they came – I was only just starting to see it. I'd seen things a lot clearer while Dean was in Hell and Ruby had pointed out a few home truths. I was clearly not far off the mark when I said she was making him weak, they couldn't function without each other, it wasn't healthy.

* * *

_**Sheriff's Office**_

**Beth's POV**

Deputy Linus handed a folder to Sam with a smile. "This is the Garland file," he said and Sam nodded, flipping through it. Linus looked over our shoulders at Dean, who was standing near the door way, swaying on his feet a little. I'd tried to get him to stay in the car, but he was steadfastly refusing to leave my side.

"Is he…drunk?" Linus asked and Sam turned to look at Dean, who gave us a big smile and thumbs up.

"No," Sam said sternly. "Deputy, according to this, Luther Garland's cause of death was physical trauma. What does that mean?"

"The guy died twenty years ago, before my time. Sorry," he answered.

"Then can we talk to the Sheriff?" I asked and Linus shifted uncomfortably.

"Um, he's out sick today," he said.

"Well, if you see him, will you have him call us? We're staying at the Bluebird," Sam said, closing the file and holding it up. "Mind if I take this?" He didn't wait for an answer, turning on his heel and walking back toward the door. I followed, and Dean swayed again, looking at Linus.

"Know what? You're awesome," he told the deputy with a grin.

"Thanks. Um, y-you too, I guess," Linus replied and I snickered, putting my hand on Dean's arm and guiding him toward the door.

"Come on Sir, we have more research to do," I said, leading him out.

Sam was waiting outside for us, leaning on the car.

"So what now?" I asked and he inclined his head toward the South of town.

"Luther had a brother, time to get some answers," he replied.

* * *

_**Peaceful Pines Assisted Living**_

**Beth's POV**

By the time we'd made it inside Dean was starting to panic. He bumped into a resident coming around the corner and jumped back, grabbing my arm.

"This isn't gonna work," he said anxiously to me. "Come on, these badges are fake. What if we get busted? We could go to jail!" He said and Sam sighed, looking at him.

"Man you should have stayed in the car," he said, looking at me. "Can't you do something?"

I stopped walking and pulled Dean around to face me. "Dean, shh! Calm down," I said, looking into his eyes. "Take a deep breath, okay?" Dean complied, sucking in a breath and then letting it out slowly. I smiled. "There. You feel better?" Dean shook his head no and I sighed. "Just, relax okay? It's fine, everything is going to be fine. Come on," I said, taking his arm and leading him after Sam who was waiting a few yards away. Dean started to reach for his arm and I batted his hand away. "Don't scratch," I instructed and he frowned at me.

Mr Garland was sitting at a table in a communal dining area when we found him.

"Mr Garland?" Sam asked and he looked up at us, nodding slightly. "Hi, uh, I'm Agent Tyler. This is Agents Perry and Kramer, FBI. We'd like to ask you a few questions about your brother Luther."

Garland sat back in his seat, looking at us appraisingly. "Let me see some ID," he said and I felt Dean stiffen beside me, glancing frantically about.

"Certainly," Sam said with ease, reaching in to pull out his badge. I followed his direction, and then Dean did as well, holding his badge out to be inspected. Garland took the badges, looking them over and glancing back at us. Dean started to squirm beside me, but there was nothing I could do, I was supposed to be his work partner, not his wife, I couldn't comfort him the way I wanted to.

"Those are real, obviously," Dean said with a smile and Sam cleared his throat loudly. "I mean, who would pretend to be an FBI agent, huh? That's just nutty," he said, and Garland raised his eyebrows at us flipping the badges closed and handing them back.

"What do you want to know?" He asked finally.

We sat down, Sam pulling out the file on Luther. "Uh, well… according to this, your brother Luther died of physical trauma," he began and Garland scoffed at us.

"You don't agree?" I asked, and he looked at me with sad eyes.

"No, I don't."

"Well, then, what would you call it?" Sam asked.

"Don't matter what an old man thinks," he replied, looking away.

"Mr Garland," I said, leaning forward. "We're just trying to get the truth on your brother. Please."

He looked at us for a short while, and then came to a decision. "Everybody was scared of Luther," he said, reaching over to take the ID card from the mill in his hands, looking fondly at the photo. "They called him a monster," he started. "He was too big, too mean-looking. Just too_ different. _Didn't matter he was the kindest man I ever knew. Didn't matter he'd never hurt no one…" he paused, looking out the window again, lost in his thoughts. "A lot of people failed Luther. I was one of them. I was a widower with three young 'uns. And I told myself there was nothing I could do."

"Mr Garland, do you recognise this woman?" Sam asked, sliding the drawing of Frank's wife in front of him.

"It's Jessie O'Brien," Garland replied with a nod. "Her man Frank, killed Luther."

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"Everybody knows. They just don't talk about it," he replied. "Jessie was a receptionist at the mill. She was always real nice to Luther, and he had a crush on her. But Frank didn't like it. And when Jessie went missing, Frank was sure that Luther had done something to her. Turns out the old gal killed herself, but Frank didn't know that." I nodded. "They found Luther with a chain wrapped around his neck. He was dragged up and down the stretch outside that plant til he was past dead." I grimaced and thought about what a horrible way to die that would be.

"And O'Brien was never arrested?" Dean asked.

"I screamed to every cop in town. They didn't want to look into Frank. He was a pillar of the community. My brother was just the town freak," Garland said sadly.

"You must have hated Frank O'Brien," Sam said.

"I did for a long time, but life's too short for hate son," he said with a smile, looking at Sam. That statement hit me hard, and I glanced over at Sam, thinking about the frustration and anger I'd been harbouring toward him lately. "And Frank wasn't thinking straight. His wife had vanished, he was terrified. A damn shame he had to put Luther through the same, but… that's fear. It spreads and spreads."

He was right about that. The only thing Sam and I had lived on during Dean's time in Hell was fear. Fear that we'd never see him again, fear of what was happening to him, fear that we might never save him from his fate… We all had it, and it affected us all in different ways. Just the same, it seemed like an easy excuse for Sam to use to explain why he turned on me, and took up with Ruby. I still prayed constantly for the courage to forgive and forget, but the sting of his rejection, his words, still sat heavy in my heart.

* * *

_**Peaceful Pines**_

**Dean's POV**

This was just getting worse and worse. I was starting to think we were insane. I scratched at my arm again, stopping when Beth reached out a hand to me. "Now we know what these are, road rash," I said and she nodded. "And I'm guessing Luther swallowed some wood chips when he was being dragged down that road." I shuddered, not wanting to think about how it would be like to die like that. Strangely enough, road haul was not something I'd endured in Hell.

"Makes sense," Sam said with a nod. "You're experiencing his death in slow motion."

"Yeah, well, not slow enough huh? What say we burn some bones and get me healthy?" I said, turning to Beth. She bit her lip and I that told me that something wasn't quite right.

"Dean, it won't be that easy," she said softly and I frowned.

"No, no it'll be that easy," I argued, but I could see it in her eyes. "Why wouldn't it be that easy?"

Beth sighed and reached out a hand to rest it against my cheek. "Baby, Luther was road-hauled. His body was ripped to pieces. He was probably scattered all over that road," she said, watching me with concerned eyes. "There's no way we're going to find all the remains." I felt myself go white with the thought.

"You're kidding me?" I said, my heart starting to race just a little bit faster.

"Look, we'll just have to figure something else out," Sam said and I pulled back from Beth, shaking my head.

"You know what? Screw this!" I declared, walking away and waving my arm in the air.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Dean," Sam said, walking toward me but I held out a hand to stop him coming closer.

"Come on!" I said. "No, I mean, come on, Sam. What are we doing?!" I asked, looking from him to Beth.

"We're hunting a ghost," Sam said.

"A ghost! Exactly! Who does that?!" I asked, shaking my head.

"Us," Beth said and I sighed, moving back toward her and taking her arms in my hands.

"Us? Right. And that sugarpie, that is exactly why our lives suck. I mean, come on, we hunt monsters! What the hell?! I mean, normal people, they see a monster, and they run. But not us, no, no, no, we - we search out things that want to kill us. Yeah? Huh? Or eat us! You know who does that? Crazy people!" I looked at her and she shook her head at me patiently, reaching out a hand to rest it on my chest. I could feel my heart already starting to beat faster with anxiety. "We...are insane!" I pulled away and started to pace.

"You know, and then there's the bad diner food and then the skeevy motel rooms and then the truck-stop waitress with the bizarre rash. I mean, who wants this life, guys? Huh? Seriously? Do you actually like being stuck in a car with me eight hours a day, every single day? I don't think so! I mean, I drive too fast. And I listen to the same five albums over and over and over again, a-and I sing along. I'm annoying, I know that. I seriously don't know what you see in me Beth." I looked over at Sam. "And you - you're gassy! You eat half a burrito, and you get toxic! I mean, you know what?" I tossed the keys to Sam, pulling away and walking down the street. "You can forget it."

"Whoa, Dean. Where are you going?" Sam called out.

"Stay away from me guys, okay? 'Cause I am done with it. I'm done with the monsters, and – and – and the hell hounds and the ghost sickness and the damn Apocalypse! I'm out. I'm done. I quit!"

"Dean!" Beth called out after me, but I waved her off. I'd make it up to her later, right now I just had to get away, I had to be on my own to think things through.

Suddenly I heard a noise behind me, and I turned, thinking it was Beth, but then I heard the growling and I saw red. They were here they had come for me. I was going to die and I was going back to Hell, where they'd all be waiting for me, and I'd be tied back to that rack, and forced to…. I shook my head, no. No. I wasn't going back, I didn't care what I had to do, I had to run, I had to get away.

I took off, the Hell hound chasing me as I fled down the street getting further and further away from where I'd left Sam and Beth. I needed to escape, there was no time to double back and get help. I flew around a dumpster and ran into a shopping cart, knocking it and all its contents flying. A homeless man looked up, startled at me, and I stopped, pointing at the hellhound.

"Run!" I yelled. "It'll kill you!" I said, but he didn't believe me. I yelled again and started running down the alley. I had to get back to the motel.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

Beth looked so relieved when she saw me back at the motel room, rushing over to check me over with gentle hands.

"We looked everywhere for you Dean. How the Hell did you get here?" She asked as she turned worried eyes to me.

"Ran," I said and she frowned. That was a good couple of miles away where we'd been. I'd run the whole way and I could see her thinking this through. "What do we do now?" I asked. "I got less than four hours on the clock. I'm gonna die, Beth."

"Yeah, you are," she said, looking at me and I startled, not expecting that. "You're going back," she said.

"Back?" I asked.

"Downstairs Dean, Hell. It's about damn time, too. Truth is…" I stared in horror as her eyes turned black and she smirked at me. "You've been a real pain in our asses," she said, and I turned to see Sam with yellow eyes watching us. With a flick of his hand he propelled me against the wall.

"No! You get out of my wife!" I said, looking at Beth's black eyes. "You get out of my brother you evil son of a bitch!" I yelled at Sam as he approached me, his eyes fading back to his own.

"No one's possessing me, Dean. This is what I'm going to become. This is what I want to become," Sam said to me. "Then I'm going to turn Beth, and there's nothing you can do about it," he said with a smirk, starting to choke me.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey Dean!" Sam called out and I snapped out of it in time to see Beth with her hands on my chest, Sam holding my arms firmly.

"Dean, it's okay," she said, looking at me. "It's okay."

I sighed, feeling my legs sag under me. Nothing was okay, this was a freaking nightmare!

* * *

_**Lumber Mill  
A few hours later**_

**Beth's POV**

We'd been waiting for Bobby to arrive and I was starting to feel itchy, anxious to get back to Dean.

"Relax, Beth. He'll be fine, he's a big boy," Sam said to me and I sighed.

"Yeah, right," I muttered, starting to pace. Bobby pulled up in his car and I smiled, moving to hug him as he got out and approached us.

"Hey Bobby," I said and he smiled, squeezing me tight.

"Hey baby girl, how are you?" He asked, and I shook my head, tears springing to my eyes.

"I uh, I'll be a lot better once we figure this out," I said, putting on a brave face.

Bobby nodded and looked over at Sam. "Howdy, Sam."

"Hey Bobby. Thanks for coming so quick," Sam said as we walked over to him.

"Where's Dean?" Bobby asked.

"Uh, home, sick," I answered, the anxiety flooding back to me. I had to go I had to check on him.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

I was sitting on the couch, scratching freely at my arm since Beth wasn't around to stop me, and watching cartoons – Gumby and Pokey were out in the wild west when suddenly Pokey was lassoed by a madman and dragged along behind a vehicle. I froze, starting at the TV and then looking down at my arm.

"Oh this isn't helping..." I muttered, shaking my head. Thinking of Gumby just made me think of Lisa, and I groaned internally. We'd only gotten around to telling her I was back from Hell a few months ago, now Beth was going to have to go and break the news to her that I'd died of a heart attack. She was going to eat Beth alive.

* * *

_**Lumber Mill**_

**Beth's POV**

"So have his hallucinations started yet?" Bobby asked and we both nodded.

"Yeah, a few hours ago," Sam said quietly.

"How we doing on time?"

"We saw the coroner around 8am Monday morning, so uh, just under two hours," I said, my heart racing. "What about you? Did you find anything?"

Bobby pulled out a small book, handing it to me. "This uh, encyclopaedia of spirits dates to the Edo period," he said and I flipped through it, it was all in Japanese. I started to skim through some of the words while Sam looked incredulously at Bobby.

"You can read Japanese?" He asked, looking up at Bobby.

Bobby answered in Japanese, stating that he'd known how to read Japanese for longer than Sam had been born. Sam smirked, shaking his head.

"Guess so," he said.

Bobby raised his eyebrow at me and I grinned. My Japanese was nowhere near as fluent as Bobby's but I could hold my own in a conversation. _"Sam likes to think he's the only one who is educated among us," _I said to Bobby in Japanese, hoping I didn't screw up the grammar.

I still did some of the lessons I had on tape occasionally, trying to get better, but it certainly wasn't as good as it could have been. My lessons had kind of been interrupted the day Bobby had blown up at John and Cole when he found out about them being involved, and then Sam had dropped his own bombshell by leaving us for college. It had been years before I'd seen Bobby again. Sam stared at me in surprise, shaking his head. "Show off," he said and Bobby chortled.

"Anyway, this book lists a kind of ghost that could be our guy," he said, flipping to a page. "It uh, infects people with fear. It's called a buruburu."

"Does it say how to kill it?" Sam asked.

"Sam as usual. Burn the remains," Bobby said.

"Wonderful…" I muttered. "Uh, is there a Plan B?" I asked.

"Well, the buruburu is born of fear. Hell, it is fear. And the lore says we can kill it with fear," he said.

"So we have to scare a ghost to death?" Sam asked.

"Pretty much," Bobby said with a nod.

I felt sick to my stomach.

An hour later I knew I had to go. I pulled out my phone and rang Dean, he picked up almost immediately.

"_Hey," _he said.

"Hey," I replied, smiling into the phone, trying not to sound as panicked as I felt. "So uh, just ride out the trip, okay? You're gonna be fine. Bobby's here and … you're gonna be fine. We got a plan."

"_What is it?" _Dean asked and I hesitated, he wasn't going to like it.

"Uh, just a good plan, all right?" I said. "Hang in there, I'm gonna come back and sit with you, okay?"

"_Yeah, okay. Good. Good." _He said, and I looked at Sam and Bobby.

"Okay, I'll be there soon." I said, hanging up and looking at them.

"This is a terrible plan!" Bobby said.

"Yeah, tell me about it," I agreed.

"I know I said, 'scare the ghost to death,' but this?" Bobby asked incredulously.

"Hey, you got a better idea, I'm listening," Sam said and I looked at him, sighing. I didn't. None of us did.

"Okay, I'm going to go back to Dean, see if I can't keep him calm or something, try to stave this off as long as we can so you guys have time to… you know." Bobby nodded, looking at me worried.

"Go be with Dean, we'll call you when it's done, though you should be able to tell," he said and I nodded as he tossed me his keys. I took them and almost ran to his car.

* * *

_**Lumber Mill**_

**Sam's POV**

Luther refused to show up when I went inside, stalking around and looking for him. I thought about the iron chain Bobby had etched with spell work. I put it near the door and progressed further into the little room we'd last seen Luther in as Bobby's voice crackled over the walkie-talkie I was holding.

"_Any luck?" _

"I don't know what's wrong Bobby. Last time he came right at us. It's almost like he's, uh… like he's scared," I said, the realisation dawning on me. Of course he was scared, this was where he'd had his life taken from him. I put the shotgun down on the floor, standing up again slowly.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

I hung up from Beth, stilling my erratic breathing and fighting off a panic attack. She'd only been gone an hour and a half, it wasn't long, not in the scheme of things, and she was coming back now. It was going to be okay.

Dogs started to bark and I looked up, they were everywhere. They were coming for me! Suddenly the door to the room rattled and I hid behind an armchair, watching. When it broke off its hinges I stared at the Sheriff, standing menacingly in the doorway.

"Sheriff?" I asked, looking down at the gun in his hand. "What are you doing?"

"Why are you looking into Luther Garland's death?" He asked and I realised at the same time he had the same dried up blood on his arm that I did.

"Hey, hey, you're – you're sick. You're sick. You're sick all right?" I tried to reason with him. "Just – just like me, okay?" I said, holding up my own arm. "You got to relax."

The Sheriff stepped forward and hit me, and I staggered back. "Frank O'Brien was my friend. So he made a mistake. So I didn't bust him. So what? And you're gonna bring me down over that?! No, sir," he said, pointing his gun at me. I pushed his arm away and we both looked a little surprised that the gun didn't shoot us both at the same time. The Sheriff recovered, slamming me into the wall and pressing an arm up against my neck while I tried to fight him off, pushing at his face. He got in a couple of blows to my ribs and I managed to force his arms up, socking a few punches to his stomach.

He pushed me back against the wall and then started to hesitate. I used the split second to throw him across the room and he landed on the coffee table, bringing it to the floor under him. I took a couple of slow steps toward him when suddenly the Sheriff started to hyperventilate and he pushed away from me. "Get away from me!" He cried out and I reached forward.

"Al, you got to calm down!" I said.

"Step back!" He cried and then he fell to the floor, gasping for breath and then going deathly still. I sighed, looking at him, and seeing what was going to become of me. Oh this wasn't good. Where the hell was Beth?

* * *

_**Lumber Mill**_

**Sam's POV**

"_So now what?" _Bobby asked and I frowned, contemplating.

"I guess I got to make him angry," I replied, thinking it through. "Hey Luther!" I yelled, picking up one of the drawings he'd done of Jessie O'Brien and tearing it in half. Nothing. I picked up another one, ripping it to shreds and the machines started to turn on. Now I knew I had his attention.

"Come on Luther! Where the hell are you? What are you waiting for?" I spun around and Luther was right in my face.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

I sat down on the bed, and all I could hear was Sam's voice in my head. _"You're going back…." _More hell hounds barked and howled in the distance and I startled, knocking something to the floor from the bed. I glanced down and saw Beth's bible lying on the floor, and I picked it up, holding it to my chest and rocking, trying to stay calm.

"Hi Dean," said a little girl's voice and I glanced over to see the blonde childish figure of Lilith sitting next to me.

"Huh, no! No!" I said, turning away and shaking my head. It wasn't real. It wasn't real

"Yes! It's me, Lilith!" She said childishly, jumping up and hugging me. "Oh I missed you so much. It's time to go back now," she said.

I pulled away from her, standing up and walking away, gesturing at her, but not looking at her directly. "You – you are not real!"

"What's the matter, Dean? Don't you remember all the fun you had down there?" She asked, and the pain was clear in my eyes. "Surely you remember my sister Ashmedai. Four months is like forty years in Hell. Like doggy years. And you remember every second."

I clutched at my chest, my heart beating so fast I thought it might burst at any time. I couldn't go back, I wouldn't go back. I collapsed to the floor, and the blood rushed in my ears and spots formed in front of my eyes, how was I going to get out of this? "You are not real," I said again, shaking my head.

"It doesn't matter. You're still gonna die. You're still gonna burn." Lilith said, taking my face in her hands.

"Why me? Why'd I get infected?" I asked.

"Silly goose!" Lilith said with a childish smile. "You know why, Dean. Listen to your heart." She morphed suddenly into the demon I'd known in Hell and she smiled at me, reminding me of everything she'd subjected me too.

I grabbed her, throwing her a good three yards off the bed and into a wall, she hit hard with a cry of pain. I jumped off the bed, throwing myself at her, with a punch to the gut and then backhanding her across the face. She tried to block the hit, but failed, hitting the wall again.

"You can't fight it Dean, you're going to die and I'm coming to get you," she said, holding her arms up as I hit her again, grabbing her arms and tossing her into another wall. She stood up, blocking the next punch and hitting me back, getting in a lucky punch to my face. It stung and I glared at her, grabbing her by the head and smashing my forehead into hers. She stumbled back and tried to run, but I was on to it.

I threw myself at her, spinning her to me and she looked scared. "Dean... Dean it's me!" She called out.

"Just stay away from me!" I yelled, and I punched her again and then kicked her in the gut, dropping her to the ground. She cried out, grabbing her stomach and curling into a ball. "Get away from me."

* * *

_**Lumber Mill**_

**Sam's POV**

Luther punched me, tossing me across the room and I struggled to get a hold of the chains I'd left by the door. He was much stronger than I'd been expecting. He picked me up like I was nothing more than a ragdoll, rolling me on to my back and then smashing my head into the compacted dirt floor over and over. My hand finally came into contact with the chain and I moved quickly, wrapping it around his neck while the spirit gave me a terrified look.

"Bobby, punch it!" I yelled and I heard the wheels of the Impala squealing as Bobby pulled away, taking the Spirit with him. I stood up, watching and then suddenly the spirit vanished.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

My heart was pounding in my chest and I thought it was going to explode. I was dying, this was it. I was going to die and Lilith was going to take me to Hell, and I'd be forced to endure that pain again. I would kill her before I let that happen. I pulled her up by her hair. Suddenly those eyes bled through to brown and I frowned, looking at this woman on the floor.

"Beth?" I said, confused. My heart rate dropped and I noticed the road rash disappear. Sam had succeeded in killing the ghost, but what had I done?

"Baby? Beth, what have I done?" I said and her head lolled to the side as I felt for a pulse, it was faint but thready.

"Oh God... what have I done?" I said and I stood, moving to get my phone and call Sam. The phone dialled painstakingly slow as I looked over at her body on the floor.

"Sam? Sammy you have to get back here!" When he answered, he sounded confused. "It's Beth, hurry."

I ran a hand across my face, and then she moved, startling me. She stood up, her eyes flashed blue and I frowned.

"Beth?"

"Stay back," she said in a monotone voice.

"Hey..." I reached out a hand to her, taking a few steps and she backed away.

"I have to protect her," she said.

"Protect who?" I asked and she frowned, taking a few steps back.

"Beth, you're really hurt, you need to..." She didn't even wait for me to finish, turning and running out the door. I chased after her, but she was gone as soon as I reached the door.

"What the hell?" I said, my heart starting to beat frantically. _What the hell was going on?_

Ten minutes later the Impala screeched to a halt in front of the motel room and I hurried to meet Sam.

"What is it? What's wrong with Beth?" He asked.

"I dunno... I... at the end of the … I thought she was Lilith! She's hurt... and she just..."

"Dean! Slow down! Where is Beth, man?" Sam asked, grabbing my shoulders as Bobby came around with a concerned look in his eyes.

"She's gone," I said, looking at him. "Sammy she's gone."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

* * *

Song for this chapter is: _Ghosts _by Mayday Parade

* * *

I'm amazed I actually got this done before I head off tomorrow for the weekend. I apologise if it's not up to my usual quality – I think it's okay, but then I'm also high on cold & flu tablets right now. Poor Dean. Things just aren't going his way at all It's okay, I promise, they're going to get through this!

* * *

Come check out the Facebook page if you're interested: just search for Dean & Beth – Supernatural Fanfic. I'm always posting pics and other random updates related to the fanfic there. I also tend to ask questions and you get a chance to post feedback in relation to the fanfic around possible takes on the story. It's all good fun.

* * *

Samhain features next. Please make my day and leave a review


	12. Somewhere In Between

_I can't be losing sleep over this, no, I can't  
And now I cannot stop pacing  
Give me a few hours, I'll have this all sorted out  
If my mind would just stop racing_

_'Cause I cannot stand still_  
_I can't be this unsturdy_  
_This cannot be happening_

_This is over my head but underneath my feet_  
_'Cause by tomorrow morning I'll have this thing beat_  
_And everything will be back to the way that it was_  
_I wish that it was just that easy_

_'Cause I'm waiting for tonight_  
_Then waiting for tomorrow_  
_And I'm somewhere in between_

* * *

**SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN  
(It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester)**

* * *

_**7 years ago  
**__**Chicago, Illinois**_

**Beth's POV**

_The wind whipped up around us and I laughed as Dean tried to catch me in his jacket, opening it up and swooping in from behind as we walked leisurely along the streets toward our destination. We'd scored the night off after John had to go and meet with another hunter over a spirit haunting in Oak Park, and we hadn't hesitated to make our way into the city to do some fun, normal things._

_My side ached from the cold and the walking, but I bit back the pain and smiled, I was having too much fun to beg out now. Dean stopped trying to swallow me into his leather jacket, instead tucking it around his body with a shiver, and then slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me tightly in against him as we tried to avoid the multitude of people walking around._

_The hair on the back of my neck stood up in excitement as he leaned in to place a kiss behind my ear, the simplest of touches and I was ready to fall at his feet, it still felt so surreal, being able to just slide my arm around him whenever I wanted, not worrying about who was going to see, what they were going to say, how they were going to react. It was a relief, and one we took advantage of regularly, although we were still quite reserved with John around – we didn't want to push our luck on the whole blessing._

_I felt my neck getting strained as I looked up at all the skyscrapers around us, we didn't go into cities that much, or if we did, they were never quite so tall as Chicago seemed to be. Everything towered above us, almost giving me the chills, it didn't seem quite right that we should live so far from the ground. We rounded a corner and there in front of us was the building we'd been looking for. It towered above all the others, Sears Tower, I stopped short, gasping at its reflection against the twilight sky. _

"_Wow!" I said breathlessly and then I mumbled an apology as people ran into me because I was stupid enough to stop moving. Dean pulled me aside and out of the way of foot traffic, tossing me a smile._

"_You like?" He asked and I nodded, taking his hand and pulling him along the pavement. _

* * *

_**Present Day  
Fort Collins, Colorado**_

**Dean's POV**

Praying definitely wasn't my thing, but after two weeks I was starting to get desperate. It was 6am, and I stepped into the chapel, the sunlight starting to light up the stained glass windows. Beth would have loved it; she loved all stained glass windows. I ran a hand across my tired eyes and sighed: she was the only reason I was even here.

Kneeling down, I looked up at those windows and then bowed my head.

"Cas? I don't know what to do here man, I need help, I need to find Beth, I need you man, please."

The words weren't the most elegant on the planet, they didn't even seem like a prayer, but they were the best I could do right now. My stomach growled in protest over the fact that I hadn't eaten in days, but I couldn't eat, I could barely function at this point.

"You know humans require regular nourishment to maintain their energy," Cas said, suddenly appearing next to me, causing me to jump.

"Jesus! Don't sneak up on a man like that!" I said, peering over at him.

"I am not Jesus," Cas said and I frowned at him. "What do you need Dean? Where is Beth?"

"What do you mean where is Beth? I was hoping you could tell me," I said and he frowned at me.

"Is she not with you?" He asked and then he looked into the distance, coming back with a surprised look. "No, she's not... she's gone..."

"Well duh, that's why I called you man," I said to him, shaking my head incredulously. "You're supposed to be her guardian angel, well, guard her or something – I thought you guys had some kind of … bond thingy."

"We do, but it doesn't work like that Dean. She has to let me in, if she shuts down the connection, which she has, then she has to tell me where she is," Cas said. That didn't sound good.

"What might stop her from telling you where she was?" I asked.

Cas looked curiously at me, and then frowned. "Death, Unconsciousness – although that depends on the state of the spirit, a number of other things. Why?"

I took a deep breath, looking down at my hands; they were still healing from the cuts they'd gotten during when I'd attacked Beth. I looked at my wedding ring, stark and silver against my hands and I sighed.

"I hit her," I confessed to Cas, who didn't react, he simply remained looking at me impassively. "It wasn't my fault, not really, I was sick, ghost sickness, and I started to hallucinate... but man, I hurt her pretty bad. I knocked her out, I'm sure of it."

"There where is her body?"

"That's the thing man; she got up just after that... only something else was controlling her. I can't explain it. Her eyes, they flashed blue, and she spoke to me, but it wasn't her, I know it wasn't," I said, looking over at him, that nervous, sick feeling sitting hard in my stomach like it had for the last fortnight.

Cas' eyes narrowed just shortly and then he looked away.

"You know something," I accused him, shaking his shoulder. "What? What aren't you telling me?"

"What did she say to you?" Cas asked, looking back at me.

"Uh, she uh... something like _I have to protect her. _But it doesn't make any sense!" I said. "Does it?"

"Unfortunately it does," Cas said, looking at me.

"Cas, where is my wife?" I asked more sternly and he sighed, looking at me.

"I will go and look for her, but it might take me some time since she is blocking my connection, or at least, something is," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think it would be best if she explains it to you," Cas said and before I could argue with him he'd vanished as swiftly as he'd come. I sighed, looking up at the lightening sky, if I didn't do something soon I was going to go nuts.

* * *

_**Present Day**_

**Beth's POV**

I was hanging up laundry on the line, listening to the play of the children in the yard while Dean chased them with the garden hose. It was a hot Summer day and we were all enjoying the chance to be outside. Suddenly I felt the cold spray of water washing down my back as I shrieked and turned to find Dean standing behind me. I grabbed the hose off him, laughing and turning it away so I wouldn't get any more soaked than I already was and he caught me around the waist, kissing me.

Dropping the hose to the ground I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him back, feeling all the love and adoration I had for the man swell in my heart. He took a step back and tripped over the washing basket and we fell to the ground, me landing on top of him with a grunt. "Ow…" he said and I chuckled, kissing along his neck.

"Want me to kiss it better?" I asked, sucking on the soft skin in the crook of his neck.

"What, my ass?" He asked with a laugh and I raised an eyebrow, pulling back to look into his eyes.

"Well… you might have hurt other things," I said with a grin and he groaned, rolling me to the grass and pinning me under him, his hand trailing along my side under the wet shirt I was wearing to caress along my skin. I moaned, and claimed his lips again, slowing it all down and enjoying the moment.

Water hit me again and I gasped at the chill of it; this time we were both getting a shower. We looked up to see Patrick standing there with the hose, diligently spraying it over the pair of us.

"Come on Mom! Dad! Come play with us!" He said and we laughed. Dean jumped to his feet, running after him and scooping him up in his arms, tossing him over his shoulder and spinning in circles as Patrick yelled his excitement. I smiled, climbing to my feet and watching them as Dean put him on the ground and then started to chase him and his little sister.

"Beth?" Someone said, and I looked around for the source. I glanced back at Dean who was wrestling with the kids and frowned because it hadn't been him talking to me. I shrugged, and grimaced at my wet clothes, deciding I might as well finish hanging out the laundry before going to change.

I pegged a sheet on to the line and paused. A shadow passed on the other side, but when I looked behind it, nothing was there.

"Hello?" I asked, looking around.

"Beth, where are you?" Said the man's voice and this time I paused, listening closely.

"Castiel?" I asked.

As soon as I said his name he appeared next to me in suit and trenchcoat, looking at me.

"You have to come with me," he said. I turned to look at Dean and the kids and hesitated.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because this isn't real," he explained.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Of course it's real!"

"No Beth, it's not. None of this is real," he said, turning me to face him. "You're stuck in your mind, and it's my fault. You need to snap out of it, now."

"No."

"Beth, Dean is looking for you, he's worried about you, if you want to see him again you have to come out of this fantasy," Cas said, shaking me a little.

"Leave her be, Castiel," said another voice, and I turned to see a young man with spiky black hair looking at us.

"No, she wouldn't want this, not if she knew the truth," Cas said and I frowned. _Knew the truth? What was going on here? _

I closed my eyes and a piercing pain shot through my forehead as I tried to recall the last few days. We'd had roast beef last night, best one I'd cooked yet, the kids had loved it. The day before we'd gone to the beach, first time for baby girl, and she'd squealed at the waves lapping at her feet. Dean had picked up a couple of custom restoration jobs with the garage… and then he'd hit me. _Wait, what? Dean wouldn't hit me._

Looking up I frowned at Cas, shaking my head. "He did hit you," Cas said, I shook my head, moving away from him.

"He would never," I disagreed, frowning at the angel.

"It wasn't his fault," Cas stated, "but nonetheless, it did happen."

I felt my stomach tighten at what he said, something about it sounded true, but he had to be mistaken, after all, I was here, Dean and the kids were here.

"And what about Sam?" Cas asked, I looked up sharply, realising he hadn't been anywhere near this picture, it didn't seem right. I dug a little deeper.

The motel room appeared in my mind, _wait, what motel room? _Suddenly it started flashing before my eyes.

_Returning back from the lumber yard and finding the Sheriff dead on the floor, Dean in the middle of a hallucination. He'd grabbed me, throwing me across the room where I'd hit the wall, hard. He hadn't stopped at that however, punching me in the gut and backhanding me across the face and I'd been powerless to stop it in the heat of his frenzy. I could fight, he'd taught me to, but I'd been caught off guard and he was much stronger than me._

_I'd managed to block a few punches before he landed another low blow and I even got in a punch to the face, hoping it would stop him. Instead he head butted me and I felt the sickening crunch of my nose breaking. I knew then that I was in a lot of trouble and he wasn't coming out of this hallucination easily. The ghost sickness had him firmly in its clutches. I stumbled back, grabbing at my nose and trying to move away as he stalked after me._

"_Dean… Dean it's me!" I said, but he didn't hear me, or he didn't see me. _

"_Just stay away from me!" He yelled at me as he punched me again and then kicked me in the gut, dropping me to the ground. That was the last I remembered, and I shook my head in disbelief._

"No, no Dean would never hurt me," I said and suddenly we were standing in a field of green grass, and I was looking out over vast mountains in the distance.

I realised with a start that I didn't have control of my body when I tried to move but failed. I felt around for the presence of another being inside of me and found it, reserved and waiting.

"_Ezekiel," _I said, _"You have to let me go," _I said.

"_It is not the place of the husband to abuse his wife," _he answered and I groaned.

"_He didn't know it was me! Please Ezekiel you have to let me go, Dean is going to be worried sick!" _

"_So he should be," _was the reply and I sighed. This was going to get me nowhere.

"_Castiel promised me that you would not hijack my body like this," _I said, trying to reason with the stoic angel who was steadfastly in disagreement with me. _"I can make my own decisions."_

"_You have some odd ideas," _he said and I would have rolled my eyes if I could have.

Instead I started to focus on my surroundings. We were in a lower level of Heaven, that much I could tell. This area seemed largely abandoned and quiet, but when I looked close enough I saw things moving on the periphery of my vision.

"_This is the birthing grounds," _Ezekiel explained to me. _"You cannot see anything because it has not been made manifest," _he said, and I frowned. That sounded very complicated.

"_The dinosaurs had their first walk here, and the plants, animals, humans..." _He sounded a little nostalgic.

"_Until He left us," _he said quietly.

"_Who?" _I asked, and I thought I heard a sigh.

"_Our Father," _came another voice and I turned to see Castiel standing next to us.

"_You mean God?" _I asked, curious. _"Is there no God in Heaven?" _

"_God doesn't have to be in Heaven to watch over us," _Castiel said and I would have crossed my arms if I could have. _"Ezekiel, what are you doing?"_

"_She was abused, I had to protect her," _Ezekiel replied.

"_I see Chamuel has fully healed her since. Dean is looking for her,"_ Castiel said and I nodded, I knew he would be.

"_I want to see Dean!" _I said.

"_Let her go, Ezekiel," _Castiel said. _"I promised." _

There was an internal sigh that echoed through my body and then I felt a slight lift as he left me in a burst of light. When I turned the same young man from earlier was standing next to me with spiky black hair and piercing dark eyes.

"Elizabeth, you should consider staying here with us," he said to me and I frowned.

"Ezekiel?" I asked, sighing with relief that I had full use of my body back.

"Yes," he said with a smile. "This is my regular vessel, but he is well known among Heaven, I cannot use him when I am in need to moving discreetly, that is why I need you."

"Well, happy to help, I guess," I said with a shrug. "But I'm not very impressed with the whole kidnapping thing."

"I apologise. I reacted to keep you safe, he was out of control," he said with a slight nod.

"He was in the middle of a hallucination!" I snapped, covering my face with my hands. God, I needed to get back to Dean. I turned to look at Castiel. "He's never hit me like that, he's never hurt me, all this time that he's been dealing with these nightmares and flashbacks of Hell… he's always taken back his control at the time, yes, a few times that knife came out, but I never felt like he'd hurt me, I knew he'd stop. It was the ghost sickness."

"Beth, we need to consider that perhaps he's not going to get better," Cas said.

"But he has been getting better! The nightmares, they've been next to nothing compared to when he first got back, lucky to be once a week now, we're working through this." I argued. I was steadfastly not going to give up on Dean, not after everything we'd been through, even though there was a little part of me that was scared after what had happened this time.

"Where is he?" I asked and he frowned.

"They haven't moved far, Dean has them in a motel. He has even been praying, which is unheard of for him," he said.

"Take me to him," I said. "How long have I been gone?"

"Two weeks," Cas said and I almost fell over.

"Two weeks?!" I exclaimed.

"You should reconsider Beth, it is safer for you here," Ezekiel said and I shook my head.

"I go where Dean goes," I replied.

* * *

_**7 years ago  
Chicago, Illinois**_

**Beth's POV**

_Within a short amount of time we were in the elevator, heading up to the sky-deck, 103 floors above street level. I felt my ears pop from the change in atmosphere as we were whizzed to the top in about sixty seconds. _

_We piled out of the elevator along with a handful of other tourists all chattering excitedly about how we were now in one of the tallest buildings in the world. Dean chuckled, taking my hand and pulling me away from the rest of the group to look down over the city. _

"_This was a great idea," I said with a smile, wrapping my arms around his waist and looking out over Lake Michigan. Night was falling and the lights of the city were taking centre stage as we stood still, just listening to the rush of the wind outside, feeling the gentle sway of the tower as it moved, almost creating a bit of a sickening feeling. Dean tilted my chin up, and I held my breath as he moved in, brushing his lips across mine. I moaned softly, closing my eyes and tasting his lips as he locked my lower lip between his own. I ran my hands up under his jacket and shirt to brush lightly along the bare skin of his back, earning a soft moan in return._

_He deepened the kiss, his hand caressing along my cheek, as his tongue met mine in a slow tango as we moved closer together, ignoring the view and the people around us. I sighed softly with pleasure as his hand slid under my hair, gently cupping the back of my neck and holding me to him. He broke away and I almost moaned a complaint until he started kissing my face with tiny little soft pecks along my forehead and cheeks. _

_With a smug grin tossed at a couple of guys standing nearby, Dean pulled me over to a window where there weren't any people standing around, sitting down against the glass and pulling me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me as I leaned back against his chest, and stared out the window. I giggled as he started to kiss along the back of my neck again and turned slightly to catch his lips in my own._

"_You're in a mood," I commented and he nodded, kissing along my jawline. _

"_Mmmhmmm," he agreed, one hand sliding discreetly under my top, covered by my jacket and brushing along my stomach. I gasped at the sudden sensation and then bit my lip as his fingers dipped below my belt-line, not touching anything too forbidden, but the promise was there. _

"_Naughty," I said softly with a chuckle, staring out the window again._

"_Can't help it," he said, pulling me around to face him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and smiled into his twinkling eyes, then caught his upper lip in my own, softly sucking and then opening his lips to meet his tongue again. He slid his hands up to the back of my neck, the kiss deepening and taking on an urgent feel as we leaned into it. I forgot to breathe, losing myself completely in the moment until Dean pulled back, bumping his nose against mine and smiling._

_Someone cleared their throat next to us and we looked up to see one of the tour guides looking down with a smile on her face._

"_Sorry, I hate to interrupt such a beautiful moment, but we're about to close up," she said kindly._

"_No problem," Dean said quickly and I scooted out of his lap, fighting the urge to pull away from him like we hadn't just got caught making out when we shouldn't. Then I remembered, it was okay, we were a couple now, and that meant I could touch him as much as I wanted and I didn't have to hide how I felt. I slipped my arm around his waist with a smile._

"_First date," I said, looking up at Dean's surprised expression._

"_Oh, well… congratulations," she said with a smile. "Can't say as I blame you," she said to me with a wink and a slight giggle before turning to lead us back to the elevator. "I'd be kissing him too!"_

* * *

_**Present Day  
Wallace House  
Fort Collins, Colorado**_

**Sam's POV**

When he needed to be distracted it didn't take long for Dean to find a case to work. Take for instance the one we were on now, much to my disapproval, which involved the classic urban legend of razors in Halloween candy. It seemed a little far-fetched, but being just days out from Halloween and having no leads on where to find Beth, at least it was something to do.

"Now, how many razor blades did they find?" I asked the woman standing before me. She sighed and looked at me, nearly in tears.

"Two on the floor, one in his stomach and one was stuck in his throat. He swallowed four of them, how is that even possible?" She asked, glancing at Dean who was walking around the kitchen, inspecting everything. He opened the door to the over and looked inside.

"The candy was never in the oven," Mrs Wallace said sternly, frowning at his actions.

Dean looked over at us. "We just have to be thorough Mrs Wallace," he answered.

"Did the police find any razors in the rest of the candy?" I asked.

"No," Mrs Wallace replied quickly, shaking her head. "I mean, I don't think so." She buried her face in her hands and shook her head in quiet disbelief. "I just – I can't believe it. You hear urban legends about this stuff, but it actually happens?"

"More than you might imagine," I replied with a nod. Dean had been looking on the floor at something and he stood up from behind the island bench, waving a hex bag at me behind her back. I kept my face impassive as I looked at it, things were definitely starting to look like our kind of case.

"Mrs Wallace, did Luke have any enemies?" I asked, and she looked at me confused.

"Enemies?"

"Anyone who might have held a grudge against him?" I clarified.

"What do you mean?"

"Co-workers? Neighbours? Maybe a woman?" I prompted. It was never nice to have to make this kind of a suggestion and they always reacted the same way. Badly.

"Are you suggesting an affair?" She asked, looking at me incredulously.

"Is it possible?" Dean asked.

"No!" She said sharply. "No, Luke would nev…." She broke off, a stream of fresh tears starting as she shook her head at us.

"I'm very sorry, we just have to consider all possibilities," I said quietly to her.

"If someone wanted to kill my husband, don't you think they'd find a better way than a razor in a piece of candy he _might eat_?" She asked, and there really was no arguing that logic, not without revealing the truth. I looked over at Dean, and he raised an eyebrow at me, shrugging.

As we reached the car I saw Dean starting to get angsty again, banging on the roof of the Impala and then getting in the driver's seat, taking a few deep breaths.

"Hey," I said, climbing into the passenger seat. "Maybe we shouldn't be looking into this case, you want to look into Beth again?"

"No, no I gotta do something, I'm going nuts. I talked to Cas a few days ago, he's working on it, but I haven't heard anything yet," he answered. I sighed and nodded, maybe an hour ago we could have walked away from this, but now? We had to find out what was going on, before someone else got hurt.

"I'll drop you at the motel, I need to go out for a bit, clear my head, I'll look into that guy while I'm out," Dean said, which was as much to say he was going to hit up a bar or something like he had been for the last few weeks.

"You want me to come with you?"

"Nah, I just want to think," he said quietly and I nodded.

* * *

_**Present Day  
**_**  
Beth's POV**

I looked over at Cas and sighed. "Can you take me to Dean now?" I asked, looking at him. I was feeling anxious and nervous, and just wanted to get back to my everyday life.

"Yes," Cas said, and he put his hand on my shoulder. "Are you ready?"

I nodded and then suddenly we appeared in the middle of a red brick bridge in a park somewhere, water flowing underneath. I frowned, looking around; it didn't look like anywhere I'd ever been before.

"Dean?!" I called out, looking around.

"Beth?" Dean's voice sounded from the other side of one of the walls, and he stood up from where he'd been sitting on the grass, hidden from view. My breath caught when I saw him, an ache in my heart so strong and hurting.

"Oh, God, are you okay?" He asked, rushing toward me. I took a few steps back instinctively at the fast movement and then chastised myself when he stopped, looking at me with hurt eyes.

"Sorry," I said, taking those steps back toward him.

"No, it's okay," he said quietly, looking down at the ground.

"It was just a knee jerk reaction," I explained, moving toward him. He didn't move, lifting his head to watch me, tears in his eyes. Dean never cried, so I could see how much he was hurting from this whole thing, and it broke my heart. I hurried forward, taking his face in my hands and kissing him gently.

"Are you all right?" I asked softly, looking up at him. He smirked, and shook his head at me, not moving to touch me, barely even breathing.

"Only you would be more worried about me than yourself," he muttered, shaking his head.

I looked around for Cas, but he'd obviously disappeared when he saw that I was all right. It was just the two of us standing on the bridge now.

"Dean I love you, of course I'm worried," I said, reaching out a hand to lay it on his chest. He still refused to move and I frowned, looking up at him. "Are you just going to stand there?"

He sighed and shrugged at me, shaking his head. "I don't know what to do Beth, I don't want to hurt you."

I took his hands, moving them to my hips and stepped into him, sliding my own arms around his waist and pulling him tightly to me. "Hold me," I requested, nuzzling my nose into his neck a little. He surrendered into the movement, sighing and wrapping his arms around me, stroking along my back.

"Where have you been?" He asked, resting his chin against the top of my head.

"Heaven," I said honestly, and he pulled back to look at me in surprise.

"Heaven?"

I nodded, resting my head against his chest where I could hear his racing heart.

"Beth, I broke your nose, among other things…is that how you're fully healed?" He asked and I nodded.

"There's some things I need to tell you," I said softly, and I felt his arms tighten a little.

"What?"

"Can we go somewhere to eat first?" I asked, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes as my stomach rumbled. "I haven't eaten in two weeks."

He frowned, reaching a hand out to brush a couple of stray hairs out of my eyes. My first instinct was to back away, but I fought it, closing my eyes and leaning in to the touch as his fingers trailed down my face.

"I love you," I whispered softly and felt soft lips caress my forehead.

"Me too," he said, looking at me when I opened my eyes. "I'm am so, so, so sorry Beth," he said, his face starting to crack as he fought back the anguish he was obviously feeling.

"It wasn't your fault," I said, reaching up a hand to caress his face. "It wasn't your fault."

"I still hurt you," he insisted.

"And I'm okay, the angels put me back together," I said.

"You've been missing for _two weeks_!" He said, shaking his head.

"It wasn't my choice, Dean, I swear. I would never leave you, not like that. That's what I need to talk to you about, okay? I didn't leave you," I said, leaning into him.

I felt him take a couple of deep breaths and then surrender into my embrace, his arms coming to circle around me.

"Promise?" He asked, uncertainly.

"I promise," I said, looking up and kissing him gently. "I'll explain everything; can we just get some pie first?" I asked with a cheeky grin. He chuckled and nodded, taking my face in his hands once more, staring into my eyes and then leaning in to capture my mouth, trailing his tongue along my lips and then hesitantly prying my mouth open.

I met his kiss without resistance, thinking about what that must have been like for him: _two weeks? _I had to touch him and kiss him; I needed him to be all right because I couldn't cope if this was going to break us.

* * *

_**7 years ago  
**__**Chicago, Illinois**_

**Dean's POV**

_She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever known, the only one I'd ever really loved. Now she was mine and sitting in a corner booth at a little pizza parlour we'd found down the street. Munching on some garlic bread, she smiled, looking over at me as butter dripped down her chin. I laughed and dabbed at her face with a napkin, and she groaned, not from the fussing but from the delicious mouthful of food she had. _

"_Oh my god," she said when she finally swallowed, "this is incredible!"_

"_Babe you say that about just about any garlic bread," I said with a grin, taking a bite myself. Admittedly she might have been right this time. "You know I have to kiss you after this right?"_

"_Mmm, yeah, but at least we won't be attacked by vampires," she said with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes at her and laughed. _

"_There's no such thing as vampires," I said and she shrugged. _

"_Can't be too careful," she grinned._

"_Yeah well this ain't _Port Charles_ you know, vampires don't just suddenly appear and start interacting with the world," I said with a shake of my head. I had only just caught up with that particular spin on one of our daytime soaps and I was still reeling from it._

"_Although…" I said, glancing out the window at a strange looking person in a black cape who was walking by. "…you never know…"_

_Beth laughed and shook her head. "This is Chicago, Dean. It takes all kinds."_

"_You got that right," I said with a smile as our pizza was delivered to our table. The waitress walked off with a smile and I looked at Beth, reaching out to take her hand and squeeze it a little. "So… first date huh?" I asked, recalling what she'd said up in the tower._

"_Technically, yeah," she said with a shy smile, chewing on her bottom lip._

"_What about all those birthday pie sessions?" I asked and she scoffed._

"_It doesn't count if you're not officially dating," she said._

"_Hmmm, fair enough," I said, smiling back at her. "So, first date. How is it going so far?" I asked._

_She laughed softly and scooted around in the booth to sit closer to me, leaning over to kiss me as she laid her hand on my thigh under the table. "Sitting on about… 8 out of 10," she said with a grin and I widened my eyes at that statement._

"_Only an eight?!" I said and she giggled as I pulled her in to me, tickling her. _

* * *

_**Present Day  
**__**Motel Room  
**__**Fort Collins, Colorado**_

**Dean's POV**

We walked back slowly toward the motel room, my hand resting gently at the small of Beth's back. She was still a little jumpy, I could see it; the effects of nearly being beaten to death had to be having an impact on her regardless of how much she said she didn't blame me. I pushed the guilt down in my stomach and tried not to think too hard on it, when she explained about the angel, and the mission she'd gone on with him, I thought my heart was going to stop – how could she have put herself at risk like that?

Beth had been quick to chastise me because I did the same thing all the time. She was right, but I didn't have to like it. We'd eventually decided to try and put it all behind us, and work through things, but it was going to take baby steps. She was still cautiously watching me, and I resigned myself to the fact that it might take some time to get back to where things were before all this had happened.

Sam was sitting on the couch when we got back, and he looked up in surprise when Beth walked in with me.

"Beth?!" He said, jumping up and crossing over to us. "What… are you okay?"

Beth nodded and smiled at him, giving him a slightly awkward hug.

"God, we've been worried sick," Sam said, looking down at her. "Where have you been?"

"It's a long story, we'll fill you in later," I said, spotting a piece of candy on the table and unwrapping it, tossing it my mouth.

Sam stopped to look at me incredulously. "Really? After that guy choked down all those razor blades?" He asked.

"It's Halloween, man," I said with a grin, watching as Beth made her way over to the coffee pot.

"Yeah, for us every day is Halloween," he countered.

"Don't be a downer," I said, perching on the arm of the chair and looking at his research. "Anything interesting?"

Sam moved to sit down on the couch again while Beth poured herself a cup of coffee, turning and leaning against the counter, watching us quietly.

"Well, we're on a witch hunt, that's for sure," Sam said, still watching Beth curiously. "But this isn't your typical hex bag," he added.

"Hmm, no?"

Sam shook his head and picked up a dried up flower from the hex bag.

"Goldthread, an herb that's been extinct for two hundred years. And this …" he said, picking up a silver charm. "It's Celtic – and I don't mean some new age knock-off. It looks like the real deal, like 600 years old real."

I reached out and picked up a small charred item from the bag, lifting it up to smell, it was rank and I jerked my head back.

"And um… that is the charred metacarpal bone of a new born baby," Sam said.

"Ugh!" I said, putting the bone back down. That was disgusting! "Gross."

Sam picked up the bone and looked at it. "Relax man; it's like, at least a hundred years old."

"Oh, right, like that makes it better?" I said, shaking my head and looking at Beth. "Witches man, they're so friggin' skeevy." She chuckled and me and nodded.

"Well it takes a pretty powerful witch to put together a bag like that. I don't know that we've ever dealt with one with that kind of juice," Beth said.

Sam nodded, looking up at me. "Yeah, it's hard-core. What about you? Did you find anything on the victim?"

"Luke Wallace?" I asked and he nodded. "He was so vanilla that he made vanilla seem spicy. I can't find any reason why somebody would want this guy dead."

* * *

_**Present Day  
Motel Room  
**_**  
Beth's POV**

I was feeling almost normal again after a long hot shower. Pulling a towel around my body and tucking it under my armpit, I leaned over and turban tied a second towel around my hair, flipping it behind me so I wouldn't drip water all over the place. Sam was missing when I walked back into the main room and Dean was lounging on the bed, channel surfing and looking bored. When he saw me, he sat up anxiously, watching me.

"Hey," I said, crossing around to the other side of the bed and picking up my duffel, starting to rifle through it for a t-shirt and pair of sweats to put on. I slipped on a clean pair of underwear, and looked over at Dean who was suddenly staring across the room. "You okay?" I asked, pulling a t-shirt over my head and dropping the towel to the ground.

"Yeah," he said gruffly, nodding, but he still refused to look at me.

"Liar," I accused, crossing my arms and looking over at him.

He sighed and turned to face me, sitting up on the bed. "Sorry, it's just... the last time I saw you, you were...well bloody, and beaten, and now there's not a scratch on you," he said, throwing his hand in the air.

"Yeah, I know," I said quietly, looking down at my arms. I was thankful for that because I didn't want to think about how much pain I'd have been in had I not been healed by the angels.

I crawled on to the bed, moving over to Dean and he looked a little warily at me when I came to rest in front of him. "You can't avoid me forever," I said and he sighed at me again.

"You should be running from me, Beth," he said, biting his lip.

I sighed and moved to sit next to him. "Look, I won't lie to you; there are moments when my whole body freezes, just from the memory of what happened. But it wasn't you Dean, you would never hurt me," I said.

"I know," he said softly. "But I still did." Tears started to pool in my eyes and I brushed them back impatiently.

"Oh Beth, please don't cry, I don't want to cause you any more pain," he said, moving to hold me as I buried my face into his neck.

"I just want things to go back to how we used to be, I'm so sick of all this … of everything," I said. "I just want us to be okay."

"I know," he said, rocking me softly. "Me too. I'm sorry." I pulled back and looked at him, blinking back tears.

"Okay, babe. You have to stop saying you're sorry. It's going to drive me insane. Can't we just... I don't know, can't we pretend things are back to normal? How are we ever going to get past this otherwise?" I asked. I watched the way his eyes darkened, he was as frustrated as I was about this. My heart started to race a little at the darkness swirling behind those green eyes and I swallowed, trying to breathe, but all I could see were his dark eyes as he attacked me.

Dean reached out a hand to stroke my face without warning and I flinched, kicking myself instantly as he pulled it back, retreating so that I wouldn't freak out. I grabbed his hand, holding it to my cheek, pushing back the irrational fear.

"God I hate this," I whispered. "I don't want to feel this way."

"I don't know what to do," Dean said.

I closed my eyes, my fingers trailing along his hand as he rested it on the side of my face. I resolved to push through this, because this was my husband, and he wouldn't hurt me. I had to trust that we could work through this, that we could heal it.

Lying back against the pillows, I pulled him with me, and he hesitated, holding himself over me and looking down into my eyes. Reaching out to grasp his face in my hands, I pulled him down, meeting his lips the rest of the way, and moaning softly as he opened to me, allowing the kiss.

Moments flashed before me, the head-butt, the pain searing through my nose, and then memories of our first date, of kissing him up the top of Sears Tower and how innocent our lives had been. Hot tears welled in my eyes and started to stream down my face and Dean pulled back as I tried to stifle a sob, resting his forehead against me.

"Beth..."

"Don't stop," I whispered, shaking my head.

He slid his hands along my arms and down to my wrists and I froze for a moment.

"Okay, wait, maybe … maybe not on top. But, you know you don't do so well with me on top lately either," I said and he sighed, nodding.

"We're a disaster," he said softly and I looked at him, pain in my eyes.

"Lie down with me," I asked and he complied, leaning on his side as I rolled to face him. We traced our hands along each other's hips, and I smiled, leaning in to kiss him. We started out slowly, exploring each other as we moved closer together. I slipped my knee in between his thighs and pressed it against his groin. There was a slight press back from a half-arousal and I smiled.

"I love you," I said for the third time today and he smiled, nuzzling my nose with his own.

"I have no idea why," he said, burying his face into my shoulder and pulling me close. We didn't move, holding each other and trying to fill the void caused by our mutual guilt – mine in him being like this, him for causing me harm. The door opened behind us and Sam walked in, his breath catching when he saw us on the bed.

"Hey, uh..."

"It's okay Sammy," Dean said, pulling back slightly. "You're safe, we're not doing anything like that."

"Sorry," Sam muttered and walked past the bed, putting a bag of fast food on the kitchen bench. "You guys hungry?"

I sat up, nodding with a smile and he grinned back at me. I grabbed the sweatpants that I'd left discarded on the end of the bed and slipped into them.

"Might want to try the suit," Sam commented, tossing me a wrapped burger and then following it up with one for Dean. "Eat fast, we got another incident," he added.

* * *

_**7 years ago  
**__**Chicago, Illinois**_

**Beth's POV**

_The date had slowly progressed from an eight until we'd hit what I was now considering a 9.5 out of ten. The walk back toward the motel had been laborious, and I was feeling the effects of the cold night combined with my pain levels shooting through the roof, but I was fighting it off – nothing was going to ruin this night for us. Considering he had a few broken ribs himself, Dean was coping fairly well, but it wasn't likely he'd let on if he was in pain anyway._

_Delaying the return to the room, we wandered into a nearby park, holding hands and leaning comfortably against each other as we looked around us. Hunting never fully disappeared, even when you were on a time-out, and dark parks were the perfect places for supernatural creatures to go looking for their evening meal; and then there were the humans._

_A drunken man stumbled toward us along the path and as he came within arm's reach of us he suddenly pulled a knife, grabbing me and pulling me to him, the blade against my throat. I gasped, surprised at how quickly he'd been able to move and it became very apparent that he was nowhere near as drunk as he'd been pretending to be._

"_Your wallet!" The man barked at Dean and I rolled my eyes. He wasn't going to get much out of our wallets, especially since we were already dealing in fraudulent credit cards. _

"_Yeah, okay, just take it easy man," Dean said, reaching for his back pocket. He held out a hand toward us and our mugger pulled me back a step. _

"_Don't try anything funny!"_

_I snorted and shook my head, waiting for him to relax a little, which he did as Dean pulled out his wallet slowly, holding it in the air._

"_Just let her go," Dean said, watching me warily. I raised an eyebrow and smirked at him seeing the little twinkle in his eye as I nodded toward him._

"_Catch!" Dean called out, tossing the wallet at the man and catching him unprepared, he instinctively reached for the wallet, breaking his hold on my arm and I thrust my elbow back into his side, catching him hard in the ribs. When he doubled over I spun around and kneed him in the nose, dropping him to the ground with a groan. _

"_I'll take that," Dean said, grabbing the knife out of the man's hand as he picked up his wallet from the ground and tucked it back into his pocket, the knife sliding into his waistband. "Man you picked the wrong people to mug," he said, hauling the guy to his feet while I gingerly touched my side which was now throbbing from the exertion of defending myself._

_The man looked scared at Dean and attempted to break his hold on him. "Get out of here, if I see you around here again, you'll have more than a few sore ribs to deal with, hear me?"  
_

* * *

_**Present Day  
**__**Halloween Party  
**__**Fort Collins, Colorado**_

**Dean's POV**

The party had been happening in the basement, and from what I could see it had been pretty lame until a girl had decided to simultaneously drown and boil to death in the apple bobbing tub. Forensics were around taking photos, and police officers were questioning all the party-goers as we walked down the stairs, taking the scene in. There was a cop questioning a pretty blonde dressed in a skimpy cheerleading costume and I raised my eyebrow.

"Have you been drinking?" The officer asked her and she nodded.

"Yes."

Sam went to go join in the questioning and I placed my hand on his arm.

"I got this one," I said and felt Beth push in with a raised eyebrow.

"Two words: jail bait," Sam said and Beth shook her head.

"I got two more important words: married man," she said with a smirk, and I looked at her with a grin.

"I would never …" I said and she laughed.

"Even still, I got this one," she said and walked off on us. I trailed behind her, checking out the apple bobbing tub.

"It's just so weird. The water in the tub – it wasn't hot, I had just been in there myself," the girl was telling the cop.

"Your friend didn't happen to know a man named Luke Wallace?" Beth asked, walking up and cutting in on the conversation. The girl turned questioningly to her, and Beth held up a badge, smiling. "Agent Seger, FBI," Beth identified herself.

"Um, who's Luke Wallace?" The girl asked.

"He died yesterday," Beth said and the girl shook her head.

"I don't know who that is," she commented.

Sam had been rooting around in the couch and suddenly stood up, holding a hex bag. Beth noticed and nodded at him, meeting my expression. Witches, again. Great.

* * *

_**Present Day  
Motel Room**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean had commandeered the computer while Sam and I hit the books. I was lying on one of the beds, stomach down and flipping through a book on witches when Sam sat up, looking intently at the book he was reading.

"I'm telling you, both these vics are squeaky clean," Dean said, looking over. "There is no reason for a wicked bitch payback."

"Maybe cause it's not about that," Sam said and I sat up, looking at him questioningly.

"Wow, insightful," Dean said sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. I looked over at him and chuckled, he didn't have a lot of patience when it came to Sam's cryptic nature. Sam rolled his eyes and moved to sit on a chair between the bed I was on and the table where Dean was sitting.

"Maybe this witch isn't working the grudge, maybe they're working a spell. Check this out," he said, handing me the book and pointing to a section.

"Three blood sacrifices over three days, the last before midnight on the final day of the final harvest," I frowned and looked up. "In the Celtic Calendar the final day of the final harvest is October 31st," I said, handing Dean the book.

"Halloween," Dean said and Sam nodded.

"Exactly."

"What exactly are the, uh, blood sacrifices for?" Dean asked.

"Uh, if I'm right, this witch is summoning a demon, and not just any demon – Samhain," he said. I frowned, that was the new age witchy word for Halloween, but it meant a lot more than that.

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" Dean asked with a shrug.

"Dean, Samhain is the origin of Halloween. The Celts believed that October 31st was the one night of the year when the veil was the thinnest between the living and the dead, and it was Samhain's night. I mean, masks were put on to hide from him, sweets left on doorsteps to appease him, faces carved into pumpkins to worship him. He was exorcised centuries ago," Sam said.

"So even though Samhain took a trip downstairs, the tradition stuck," Dean said and Sam nodded.

"Only now instead of demons and blood orgies, Halloween is all about kids, candy and costumes," I commented, looking out the window at the dark night.

"Okay, so some witch wants to raise Samhain and take back the night?" Dean asked with a smirk.

"Dean this is serious," Sam snapped.

"I am serious!" Dean insisted.

"We're talking heavyweight witchcraft. This ritual can only be performed every six hundred years," Sam continued, looking insistently at his brother.

"And the six hundred year marker rolls around….?"

"Tomorrow night," Sam said.

"Naturally," Dean said with a sigh. He looked down at the book in his hands and frowned as he took in the pictures of a demon standing atop a mountain of bodies, holding a head in his hand. I shivered, recalling how I'd found Dean in a similar position when Cas had used me to pull him out of Hell. Dean didn't seem to make the connection.

"Well it sure is a lot of death and destruction for one demon," Dean said, looking up.

"That's because he likes company," Sam said. "Once he's raised, Samhain can do some raising of his own."

"Raising what, exactly?" I asked.

"Dark, evil crap and lots of it," Sam said, looking at me. "I mean, they follow him around like the friggin' Pied Piper."

"So we're talking ghosts?" Dean asked.

"Yeah."

"Zombies?" I said and Sam nodded.

"Mmhmmm.."

"Leprechauns?" Dean asked and Sam rolled his eyes.

"Dean…"

"Those little dudes are scary!" Dean insisted and I chuckled, thinking back to the night Cole had gatecrashed our _Leprechaun _movie night. Of course that led me to thinking about other things from that night and I contemplated something that we hadn't revisited… I chuckled and Dean looked at me, mistaking my smile for the Leprechaun comment. "Well they are!" He said, waving his hands in the air. "Small hands."

"Look," Sam said impatiently at the pair of us. "It just starts with ghosts and ghouls, this sucker keeps on going; by night's end we are talking every awful thing we have ever seen. Everything we fight, all in one place."

Dean looked at me, swallowing and sighing. "It's gonna be a slaughterhouse."

* * *

_**7 years ago  
Chicago, Illinois**_

**Beth's POV **

_Dean's expression said it all, I think it had been enough to scare off our would-be mugger more than any threat of violence. He scrambled away as he was dropped to his feet and ran in the opposite direction, soon gone from sight._

"_You okay?" Dean asked and I nodded with a smile, slipping my arm around his waist. _

"_Yeah," I confirmed, "especially when I have my knight in shining armour to protect me." He scoffed and shook his head._

"_You could have dealt with that guy all on your own," he said._

"_Yeah, I know. But I didn't have to, that's what counts," I said, smiling and leaning up to kiss him lightly. Dean caught my chin in his hand, shifting the angle and deepening the kiss, leaving me breathlessly clinging to him as we finally broke away._

"_I don't want to go back yet," I said and he nodded, pulling me over to a nearby park bench and sitting down. I settled into his lap, sitting sideways and wrapping my arms around his neck as I leaned my forehead to his._

"_So, still an eight?" Dean asked and I chuckled, shaking my head._

"_Nope, I think you've hit the perfect ten mark by now," I said. "I think it all hinges on this next kiss."_

"_Oh really?" He asked with a grin and I nodded, brushing my nose against his._

"_Mhmmm…"_

_With a smile Dean leaned in to me, catching my lip between his and softly licking along me, sliding his tongue tenderly in to meet and start circling my tongue, teasing it with his own. Soft shivers ran down my back as his hands trailed under my top and in against the bare skin at my hip. He moaned softly as he made contact with the skin and the sound made me melt. After what seemed a lifetime he pulled away, kissing me a couple more times quickly and then smiled, a questioning look in his eyes._

"_Well?"_

_I looked at him dreamily and smiled, licking my lips. "Oh definitely an eleven," I said, eliciting a soft laugh from his perfect lips._

"_Good," he said with a nod. "Though you know… practice makes perfect," he added, moving in to connect with me again. I moaned softly and nodded, looked like we weren't going anywhere for a while._

* * *

_**Present Day  
**__**Wallace House**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean's sweet tooth was on an all-time high. I looked over at the pile of candy wrappers now sitting between us on the front seat and shook my head in amazement as Dean opened yet another one and shoved it in his mouth. Suddenly my phone started to ring and I grabbed it, flipping it open and looking at the Caller ID.

"Hey Sam," I said and Dean stopped chewing and grinned at me instead.

"_How's it going?" _Sam asked and I raised my eyebrow at Dean.

"Awesome, we talked with Mrs Wallace again, and we've been sitting out in front of her house for hours. We've got nothing," I replied.

"_Look, Beth, someone planted those hex bags, someone with access to both houses. There's gotta be some connection," _he said. I nodded my agreement.

"Well I hope we find them soon because Dean is going to start cramping up soon..." I said as he rubbed his stomach, looking a little green around the gills.

Dean startled from the seat next to me, and then looked across the road more intently. "Son of a bitch!" He said.

"_Tell him to quit whining," _Sam said over the phone, having heard the comment and I looked to where Dean was focused.

"No, Sam, he means son of a bitch..." I said, watching as Tracy, the cheerleader girl from last night walked up to the Wallace house and knocked on the door. Mrs Wallace opened it with her baby on her hip and Tracy started to make a fuss over the kid. "We just found the connection."

* * *

_**Present Day  
**__**Motel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

I scowled at Sam as we walked into the darkened room, he was just lying there, lounging about on the bed with the computer while we had just spent the last few hours getting sore asses staking out the Wallace house. Normally that wouldn't have fazed us, because we'd just have some fun of our own, but things were a little strained on that front, and it left me instead having eaten almost an entire tub of candy from the shops: I now had a gut ache because of it.

"So, our apple bobbing cheerleader?" Sam asked, looking up as I threw the room keys on the table.

"Tracy?" I asked, not sure if that's who he was talking about or not, up until a few minutes ago I hadn't even heard her name. Beth had caught it from last night, of course.

"Mhmmm," Sam said with a nod.

"The Wallaces' babysitter," Beth said, sitting down on the bed opposite him and pulling off her shoes. "She told me she'd never even heard of Luke Wallace."

"Huh, interesting look for a centuries old witch," Sam commented and I raised an eyebrow at him, not sure of his logic.

"Yeah, well, if you were a six-hundred-year old hag and you could pick any costume to come back in, wouldn't you go for a hot cheerleader?" I asked. "I know I would, hmm…" I added, thinking back to what it felt like to have been in Beth's body, able to caress any body part that I wanted, any time I wanted, the soft feel of her skin as I ran my hands down along... I noticed Sam and Beth staring at me and I cleared my throat self-consciously. Enough of that. I smiled innocently at Beth, but I wasn't altogether sure that she couldn't read my mind sometimes, she chuckled and looked back at Sam.

"Well, Tracy's not as wholesome as she looks," Sam said. "I did some digging – apparently she got into a violent altercation with one of her teachers, got suspended from school."

He spun the laptop around to show me and Beth leaned forward, joining me to look over the details on the screen. "Looks like we're going back to high school," she said with a grin and I shook my head. High school. Great.

* * *

_**Present Day  
High School**_

**Dean's POV**

One thing I hated about Halloween, the decorations. This was no exception. I stepped into the art room and suspended from the ceiling were dozens of warped masks pictured in various degrees of torment and agony. I stared at one, stopping short, and all I could see was the twisted, demented looks of the demons in Hell, watching me, tormenting me. Screams echoed through my head and I jumped when Beth put her hand on my shoulder. I grabbed at her hand and she backed away, fear in her eyes, and bumping into Sam who was looking behind us.

"Bring back memories?" He asked, looking at the pair of us.

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking over at him and then at Beth, wondering if he was thinking along the same lines as us.

"Being a teenager, all that angst," Sam said, gesturing to the art on the walls. I sighed, relieved that he hadn't seen my reaction to the mask, and Beth's consequent reaction to my grabbing her hand. I was pretty sure neither Beth or I had experienced much of a chance to be an angsty teenager, unlike our little brother who was always caught up in some drama or another. Then again, I suppose I'd had my fair share of angst-riddled girls chasing me.

"Oh, uh... no."

"What'd you think I meant?" Sam asked.

"Nothing," I replied quickly, looking over at one of the students who was attempting to put the biggest bong-shaped piece of pottery I'd ever seen into a kiln it was never going to fit into.

"Now that brings back memories," I said with a grin, watching as the kid pulled the bong out of the kiln again, sighing.

"Dude, I need a bigger kiln," he said and I chuckled.

"You gentlemen wanna talk to me?" Someone said from behind us and we turned to see a middle-aged man walk into the room carrying a box, a cup of coffee perched precariously atop it.

"Ah, Mr Harding?" Sam asked.

"Oh, please, Don," he said, reaching for Sam's hand. Sam shook it and smiled.

"Okay, Don."

Don reached for my hand next, shaking it, and then around to Beth, smiling.

"Gentlemen, and lady, I see," he said, taking her hand in his. "Even my students call me Don," he added before moving to put the box and coffee down on a nearby table.

"Yeah, we get it Don," I commented, not really enjoying the way he was looking at Beth, it made my skin crawl. I pulled out my badge, as did Beth and Sam when they saw me move.

"I'm agent Geddy, these are Agents Lee and Weinrib," I said, waving to first Sam and then Beth. Beth raised her eyebrow at the name and slightly shook her head. She hated these aliases I picked out most of the time, though I had scored on the Ford and Fisher ones.

"We just had a few questions about, uh, Tracy Davis," Beth said with a smile.

"Oh, yeah, Tracy. Uh, bright kid, loads of talent. It's a shame she got suspended," Don said, looking at us.

"You two had a... uh, violent altercation?" I prompted.

"Yeah, she exploded. If Principal Murrow hadn't walked by when he did, Tracy would have clawed my eyes out," he said.

"Why?" Sam asked, looking at him questioningly.

"I, uh, you know I was only trying to rap with her about her work," Don said. "It had gotten inappropriate and disturbing."

I turned, gesturing to the demonic masks on the ceiling. "More disturbing than, uh, those guys?" I asked.

Don smiled, looking down at the floor then back up at us. "She would cover page after page with these bizarre cryptic symbols, and then there were the drawings."

We looked at him questioningly and he continued.

"Detailed images of killings, gory, primitive, and she would depict herself in the middle of them, participating."

"Symbols, what kind of symbols?" Beth asked, stepping forward. She held out one of the coins from the hex bags. "Anything like this?"

"Yeah," Don said enthusiastically, nodding. "Yeah I think that might have been one of them."

"You know where Tracy is now?" I asked.

"I would imagine her apartment," he suggested, which floored me.

"Her apartment?" I asked incredulously.

"Yeah, she got here about a year ago, alone, as I understood it, as an emancipated teen. God only knows what her parents were like," he said, shrugging.

* * *

_**7 years ago  
Chicago, Illinois**_

**Dean's POV**

_She didn't want to admit it, but the whole evening had taken a lot out of her. I watched as Beth changed into pyjama pants and a tank top, grimacing at the pain in her side from where she'd had her surgery. She slipped under the covers of the bed with a soft groan and laid back against the pillow, closing her eyes. _

_I smiled and joined her, stripping down to my boxer shorts and putting a t-shirt on. It was cool in the room, but I never felt it when Beth was in bed with me. I pulled her in snuggly against my body and kissed the back of her neck. Dad wasn't back yet so I liked to take full advantage of these moments, even though we weren't technically sneaking around behind his back any more. _

"_I'm sorry… I don't mean to be so tired," she mumbled into my shoulder with a yawn._

"_It's okay," I said, kissing her forehead. "Get some rest."_

"_I had a really great time tonight Dean, thank you," she said with a smile and happy sigh, wrapping her arm around my waist._

"_Glad you liked it," I said, lifting her chin up so I could kiss her. "So you going to invite me back for coffee?" I asked cheekily and she nodded, her hand sliding along my skin and sending shivers down my spine._

_I groaned, pushing her back to the mattress and hovering over her, kissing along her neck and down her collarbone as I brought my hand down over her left breast, squeezing it softly and then brushing a thumb across her nipple, causing it to stand to attention. I was rewarded with a soft gasp and chuckled, lifting her top up to catch the same nipple in my mouth, sucking gently and twirling my tongue around it._

_It had been a long month between deciding to follow our feelings for each other, and then actually getting Dad's blessing, and of course she'd been hurt so we'd been unable to do much of anything in the way of taking things to a new level, a more intimate one._

_I groaned softly with the thought of sliding into Beth, my mind really only on the soft milky skin beneath my hands and mouth as I kissed my way along her abdomen. I started to think about going further when the key rattled in the door and with a quick movement born of plenty of nights practice, Beth pulled her top down and the covers up, and I moved up beside her, trying to hide my obvious arousal._

_Dad walked through the door, looking at us with a raised eyebrow when he saw us in bed._

"_Tired?" He asked and Beth nodded. _

"_We walked for hours!" She said and he chuckled, coming over to ruffle her hair._

"_But did you have a good time?"_

"_Yep, we went all the way to the top of Sears Tower and saw the city, and we had pizza for dinner," she answered with a grin. It could have been any conversation she'd had with him all through her teenager years, when it came to Dad, she reverted to the same fifteen year old teenage girl she'd been when we found her. It was kind of cute._

* * *

_**Present Day**_

_**Motel**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean pulled up at the motel and we climbed out, Sam meeting us at the car on his way back from checking out Tracy's apartment.

"So?" Dean asked, looking at Dean in the hope that maybe just once we'd caught a break.

"Tracy was nowhere I could find. Any luck with her friends?" Sam answered and I shook my head.

"Nah, luck is not our style," Dean answered. "Her friends don't know where she is. It's like the bitch hopped a broomstick."

We wandered over to the motel room when a chubby little kid in an astronaut costume walked toward us. I watched him curiously as his eyes fixated on us.

"She could be making the third sacrifice any time," Sam said redundantly and Dean let out a frustrated breath.

"Yes, thank you Sam," he said with a sigh.

Astronaut boy held out a bucket of candy to us and looked at us with beady little eyes. "Trick or treat," he said.

Dean looked surprised at him and chuckled. "This is a motel."

"So?"

"So we don't have any candy," Dean said.

Sam gestured toward the Impala. "No, we have a tonne in the uh..."

"We did, but it's gone," Dean said firmly, glancing at Sam, his message clear: he'd already eaten it all, it was why his stomach was churning and sick right now. The kid looked unimpressed and narrowed his eyes at Dean.

"Sorry kid, we can't help ya," Dean said.

"I want candy."

"Well, I think you've had enough," Dean said, his eyes falling to the rotund little belly the kid had. I gasped and hit Dean's arm as the kid glared at him and Sam chuckled, walking toward the motel room. The kid shoved past Dean, bumping into him and Dean looked at me incredulously.

"You've had enough?" I asked, shaking my head and walking to the motel door. "Kind of like the pot calling the kettle black isn't it?" I chuckled and turned as Sam let us into the room.

He immediately went on the offensive, drawing his gun and advancing into the room, and I pulled my gun out of my waistband, following his lead.

"Who are you?!" Sam yelled at a familiar person standing in the middle of the room, his back turned to us. I sighed and dropped my gun.

"Sam! Sam, wait!" I said, reaching out for him and putting my hand on his shoulder.

"It's Castiel." Dean said as he came rushing in. "The angel." His eyes fell to the same dark figure I was looking at standing over by the window. "Him I don't know," Dean said.

Cas turned to look at us and Sam smiled, dropping his gun, a look of wonder crossing his face.

"Hello Sam," Cas said in his usual monotone voice.

"Oh my God – er – uh – I didn't mean to – sorry," Sam stuttered, stepping forward and eagerly holding out his hand. "It's an honour, really, I – I've heard a lot about you."

Dean turned to close the door to the room and I watched as Cas looked down at Sam's hand, clearly unsure about what he was meant to do with it. Sam shook his hand in the air a little and finally Cas realised, putting his hand in Sam's, earning a smile from our little brother.

"And I, you. Sam Winchester," Cas said, placing his other hand over the two joined. "The boy with the demon blood."

Sam's face fell at the statement. I flinched at the words, even though they were said with no more venom than anything else, it was our emphasis that we put on it, our judgement, that caused the pain.

"Glad to see you've ceased your extracurricular activities," Cas said, looking into Sam's eyes. Dean had told me Sam had been a lot better while I had been missing, and from what I'd seen, he was – I had hope that maybe he was coming back to us, and statements like this just made my heart hurt a little for him. He had a good heart, and no matter how angry I was with him, I still wanted to protect him from that pain.

The stranger at the window continued to look out to the world beyond, but his voice was strong and booming when he spoke. "Let's keep it that way." Sam glanced uncertainly between the pair of them and Dean jumped to Sam's defence.

"Yeah okay chuckles," he said with an unimpressed tone.

"Who's your friend?" I asked Cas, but his eyes were all for Sam.

"This raising of Samhain, have you stopped it?" Cas asked him.

"Why?" I asked and he looked at me.

"Beth, have you located the witch?" He asked, avoiding my questions. There was an extra intensity there that I didn't always see with Cas, something was bothering him.

"Yes, we've located the witch," Dean cut in, frowning.

"And is the witch dead?" Cas asked.

"No, but we know who it is," I said. Cas walked over to the table by the bed Dean and I had been using and picked up something.

"Apparently the witch knows who you are too," he said, holding up a hex bag. "This was in the wall of your room. If we hadn't found it, surely one or all of you would be dead." He said and I swallowed, looking at Dean who ran a hand across his face.

"Do you know where the witch is now?" Cas asked. We all exchanged a look, frustrated and tired.

"We're working on it," Dean answered.

"That's unfortunate," Cas said.

"What do you care?" Dean asked angrily.

"The raising of Samhain is one of the sixty-six seals," Cas revealed and suddenly things were starting to make sense.

"So this is about your buddy Lucifer," Dean said.

"Lucifer is no friend of ours," the man by the window said, still with his back to us.

"It's just an expression," Dean snapped, rolling his eyes.

"Lucifer cannot rise. The breaking of the seal must be prevented at all costs," Cas said.

"Yeah, we know Cas, you've sent us on a few of these missions so far," I said, stepping up to him.

"Yeah, and you never show up to help. So now that you're here, why don't you tell us where the witch is, we'll gank her and everybody goes home," Dean said.

"We are not omniscient. This witch is very powerful, she's cloaked, even to our methods," Cas said, looking at me.

"Okay, well we already know who she is," Sam said. "So if we work together..."

"Enough of this!" The man by the window said. His attitude was clearly starting to rile Dean.

"Okay, who are you and why should I care?!" Dean snapped as the man turned to face us.

"This is Uriel," Cas said. "He's what you might call a... specialist," Cas finished and something in the way he said that made my hair stand up on end. Uriel walked slowly toward us and I could see Dean also sitting uncomfortably with this declaration.

"What kind of specialist?" I asked, watching his dark eyes as he peered at Cas, an understanding passing between them that did not look good from where I was standing.

"What are you going to do exactly?" I questioned.

"You – uh, all of you – you need to leave this town immediately," Cas said, almost appearing anxious, except he didn't really do emotion.

"Why?" Dean asked.

"Because we're about to destroy it," Cas said, his voice returning to normal, speaking like wiping a town off the map was no bigger deal than going down to the diner and having a cup of coffee.

"So this is your plan, you're gonna smite the whole friggin' town?!" Dean asked incredulously.

"We're out of time. This witch has to die, the seal must be saved," Cas explained.

"There are a thousand people here," Sam pointed out.

"One thousand two hundred and fourteen," Uriel clarified and I felt my jaw drop.

"And you're willing to kill them all?" I asked.

"This isn't the first time I've...purified a city," Uriel said and I shook my head in disbelief.

"Look," Cas said, glancing at me. "I understand this is regrettable."

"Regrettable?" I said with a short laugh.

"We have to hold the line. Too many seals have broken already," Cas said.

"So you screw the pooch on some seals and this town has to pay the price?" Dean asked, his brow furrowing with anger.

"It's the lives of one thousand against the lives of six billion. There's a bigger picture here," Cas argued.

"Right, cause you're bigger picture kind of guys," Dean said snarkily.

"Lucifer cannot rise. He does and Hell rises with him. Is that something that you're willing to risk?" Cas asked, looking Dean in the eyes.

"We'll stop this witch before she summons anyone," Sam said. "Your seal won't be broken and no one has to die."

"We're wasting time with these mud monkeys," Uriel said, and Cas turned back to the archangel.

"I'm sorry, but we have our orders," Cas said quietly in our direction.

"No, you can't do this, you're angels..." I said, shaking my head. Sam nodded.

"Yeah, aren't you supposed to – you're supposed to show mercy," He added.

"Says who?" Uriel asked with a smile. I was shocked, this was the first time I'd come across angels who weren't trying to do the right thing. Or at least, it seemed like they weren't to me. Ezekiel had been willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the mission, but then humans hadn't been involved – maybe he might have made a different choice if they had, maybe he would have sacrificed them just as quickly as Uriel.

"We have no choice," Cas said.

"Of course you have a choice," Dean said. "I mean, come on, what? You've never questioned a crap order, huh? What are you both just a couple of hammers?"

I was feeling sick to my stomach as I focused on Cas, there was something swirling beneath the surface there, something no one else was seeing. It was almost as if he was … upset?

"Look, even if you can't understand it, have faith. The plan is just," he said, looking back at me.

"How can you even say that?" Sam asked.

"Because it comes from Heaven, that makes it just," Cas said.

"Oh it must be nice, to be so sure of yourselves," Dean said, shaking his head in frustration.

"Tell me something Dean," Cas said, looking over at me as he spoke. "When your father gave you an order, didn't you obey?" He asked, and I swallowed. That was a low blow.

Dean looked at Cas, struggling with that statement which had caused us both so much pain and anguish in the last few years. It was all we ever did; follow John's orders without question. But both of us had started to question that in recent times.

"Well," Dean said finally. "Sorry boys, looks like the plans have changed." I frowned, looking at Dean.

"You think you can stop us?" Uriel asked smugly, looking at him.

Dean moved toward Uriel and stood in front of him, staring up into his face.

"No, but if you're gonna smite this whole town, then you're gonna have to smite us with it, because we are not leaving. See, you went to the trouble of busting me out of Hell. I figure I'm worth something to the man upstairs. So you wanna waste me, go ahead, see how he digs that."

"I will drag you out of here myself," Uriel said, frowning at Dean.

"Yeah, but you'll have to kill me, then we're back to the same problem. I mean, come on, you're gonna wipe out a whole town for one little witch? Sounds to me like you're compensating for something,"

"Dean!" I said warily, not liking where this conversation was going. He turned, glancing at me and then looking at Cas.

"We can do this. We will find that witch and we will stop the summoning," Dean promised.

Uriel's face broke into anger. "Castiel! I will not let these peop..."

"Enough!" Cas said, holding up his hand at us. He looked over at me, and then stared at Dean for a second, assessing the latter. "I suggest you move quickly," he said finally and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Within seconds the angels had vanished, leaving us standing in the motel room. I sighed and walked over to Dean, punching him in the arm.

"Ow! What'd you do that for?" He asked.

"Didn't I say to stop pissing off the angels?!" I asked and he grinned at me sheepishly.

I sighed, shaking my head at him with a smile. "What am I going to do with you?"

* * *

_**Present Day  
Motel**_

**Dean's POV**

We really had no idea what our next move was, but we were heading for the car regardless. I walked the few doors down to where we had parked and stopped dead, Beth running into my back.

"What?" She asked, but I was speechless, staring at _Baby _and the desecration that had been done to her. All over her hood and down the sides was runny white egg. Beth took in a sharp breath and then looked at me a little anxiously while Sam surveyed the damage, opening the passenger door.

I walked around to the driver side, fuming and looking around for the little brat, I knew who it was, and his chubby little hide was mine if I ran across him again. "Astronaut!" I yelled out across the yard and Sam snickered a little before getting into the front, Beth taking the back seat.

I shook my head in disbelief and got behind the wheel. Sam was staring at his hands looking sullen and Sam-like.

"What?" I asked and he shrugged. I was not in the mood for his whole sappy _I've got demon blood in me _misery, some of us actually had problems! I rolled my eyes in the mirror at Beth when Sam pouted and looked out the window.

"Nothing," he answered, looking down at the hex bag in his hands and taking a deep breath. I watched him, not believing him for a second. "I thought they'd be different," he said finally.

"Who, the angels?" Beth asked, leaning forward.

"Yeah," Sam breathed, shrugging again.

"Well I tried to tell ya," I said, shaking my head.

"I just...I mean, I thought they'd be righteous," Sam said.

I nodded in agreement, thinking about it. "Well... they are righteous, I mean, that's kinda the problem," I said. "Of course, there's nothing more dangerous than some a-hole who things he's on a holy mission." Sam nodded and smiled a little, at least I'd gotten him to smile.

"But I mean, this is God? And Heaven?" Sam asked. "This is what I've been praying to?"

Beth sat forward a little more and squeezed Sam's shoulder, looking over at me with a sad expression.

"They're not all... like this... I don't think," she said, shrugging. "Well they're kind of all bossy like that, but... you kind of get used to that."

I chuckled, shaking my head at her. Only Beth would let angels get away with treating us with the same amount of bossy orders Dad used to hit us up with. The girl had a serious hard-on for angels, and I wasn't entirely sure it was warranted.

"Look, I know you're both into the whole God thing, you know, Jesus on a tortilla and stuff like that. But... just because there's a couple of bad apples doesn't mean the whole barrel's rotten," I said, mostly to Sam who was looking sad and forlorn. "I mean, for all we know, God hates these jerks." Beth looked at me incredulously, but at the end of the day she'd just been returned to me after two weeks of being hijacked by one angel, and the other one who was supposed to be looking out for her hadn't been anywhere in sight – I mean, what the Hell? I looked back at Sam.

"Don't give up on all this, Sam," Beth said, smiling at him. "I mean, Babe Ruth was a dick but baseball's still a beautiful game." I raised my eyebrow at her, seriously? A baseball reference? Man there was definitely a reason I loved this girl.

Sam continued to look sadly at the hex bag and Beth shrugged, not knowing what else to say. He picked up little bone in the bag and looked at it.

"Well, are you gonna figure out a way to find this witch, or are you just gonna sit there fingering your bone?" I asked with a grin, starting the car.

"You know how much heat it would take to char a bone like this, guys?" Sam asked, back to business.

"No," I answered.

"A lot, I mean, more than a fire or some kitchen oven," he said.

"Okay, Betty Crocker... what does that mean?" I asked.

Sam smiled and looked over at Dean. "It means we make a stop."

* * *

_**7 years ago  
Chicago, Illinois**_

_**Beth's POV**_

_Dean had fallen asleep after the movie but I found myself wide awake and unable to shift that feeling of alertness. I went outside and said my prayers, giving thanks for a wonderful day and the fact that I actually was happy, and had Dean in my life, and we were alive. I hadn't been this joyful in a long time. _

_The room was dark when I went back inside, John and Dean both fast asleep as I crawled back into bed, flopping on to my stomach beside Dean and looking at him. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping, his eyes lightly closed, and his mouth pouting slightly as his eyelids fluttered. He was dreaming and I smiled, wondering what might be going through his head right now._

_After a while he rolled toward me just slightly, and let out a long breath. I smiled, reaching out to trace my fingers along his face before dropping them to his chest._

"_You know it's rude to stare..." he muttered suddenly, his breath husky and soft as he opened one eye to look over at me. I blushed and then shrugged, smiling up at him._

"_Can't help it," I said, leaning in to kiss his nose softly. He chuckled and slid his arm around me, pulling him to him so I could bury my nose in to the crook of his neck, breathing in the comforting pine scent of his cologne. I placed a single kiss into his skin and he murmured his contentment, lazily running his fingers along my arms and turning to kiss my forehead._

"_You should be sleeping," he said and I groaned quietly._

"_I'm not tired," I said and he shook his head in amusement as I started to run my fingers along the skin of his abdomen, splaying my hand across his stomach and tracing large, wide circles in a teasing motion. _

_Sighing Dean slid down beside me, grasping my hip and staring into my eyes._

"_Two can play that game," he whispered with a cheeky grin as he slid his knee between my legs, pulling me against him and gently grinding against my groin. I bit back a moan and wrapped my arms around him, leaning in to kiss him softly. _

_Dean's breath was short and hot as he kissed me back; drawing it out as his hands softly caressed the skin under my t-shirt. John rolled over with a grunt and Dean looked up with a sigh, turning apologetic eyes to me before pulling out of my arms and sitting up on the edge of the bed, grimacing at his arousal._

"_Get some sleep," he said softly, leaning in to kiss me, and then he was up and walking to the bathroom, where I heard the shower start up. I flipped on to my back and groaned, this room sharing was going to be the death of us. _

* * *

_**Present Day  
**__**High School**_

**Beth's POV**

We found ourselves in the art room at the high school again, and Sam led the way toward Don's desk.

"So Tracy used the kiln to char the bone, what's the big deal?" Dean asked as Sam started to rifle through the stuff on the desk.

"Dean, that hex bag turned up in our room, not after we talked to Tracy..."

"After we talked to the teacher," Dean finished with a nod.

I nodded my agreement and turned to look back at the kiln, suddenly images of a park flashed through my head and I stopped, closing my eyes. _"The decision's been made,_" I heard Castiel say and I frowned. We'd been working on more telepathic communication but never like this, more in dreams.

Sam pointed to a bottom drawer of Don's desk which was locked with a latch and padlock.

_Uriel laughed mockingly. _"_By a mud monkey," he said and I could almost feel Cas's disapproval._

"_You shouldn't call them that," Cas replied._

"Hey..." I turned around, thinking Dean was calling out to me, but instead he'd spotted the lock on the drawer too and handed Sam a hammer from the table behind them. Sam knelt down, hitting the lock and it broke free.

"_Ah, it's what they are, savages, just plumbing on two legs," Uriel said _and this time I felt a bristling across my shoulders.

"_You're close to blasphemy," _Cas replied to Uriel, who sighed in return. I shook my head, _what was the purpose of forcing this conversation on me? _I looked over to see Sam pull out the drawer to Don's desk, taking a few steps forward.

Upon opening the drawer we found tiny little bones in a bowl, one charred, the others not. Sam straightened up with a grimace.

"My God, those are all from children," he said.

"And I'm guessing he's not saving them for the dog," Dean said with a smirk.

"_There's a reason we were sent to save him," _Cas's voice sounded in my head again and I stopped short, listening. _"He has potential, he may succeed here."_

"Beth? Are you okay?" Dean asked, looking at me with concern. I held up my hand and nodded, closing my eyes and cupping my ear with my hand, indicating that I was listening to something. Sam and Dean fell silent; clearly trying to ascertain what was going on.

"_At any rate," _Cas said. "_It's out of our hands."_

"_It doesn't have to be," _Uriel replied.

"_And what would you suggest?" _Cas asked.

"_That we drag Dean Winchester out of here and then we blow this insignificant pinprick off the map." _Uriel said and I gasped, opening my eyes and looking at Dean.

"_You know our true orders. Are you prepared to disobey?" _Cas said as Dean walked around to stand next to me, I reached out a hand and grasped his arm, frowning as the connection with Cas was severed and I was fully back in my mind again.

"Okay that's new," I said, taking a deep breath and shaking my head.

"What?" Sam asked, looking at me with concern.

"I think Cas just sort of... mind melded me," I said with a frown and Dean chuckled.

"Awesome!"

I smiled and looked at him, still holding on to his arm. "Not so much," I said with a grimace. "Now I have a splitting headache."

"Well what did he say?" Sam asked, pushing for information.

"It was almost like he, uh, wanted me to eavesdrop on the conversation he was having. Uriel wants to drag Dean out of town and wipe it off the map, Cas says they would be disobeying orders if they did that, so you were right, they can't touch you," I said, looking at Dean. "But I got the definite impression that time is running out."

"So let's go check out _Don's _house eh? He's looking more and more like a likely candidate," Dean said and I nodded.

* * *

_**Present Day  
Don's House**_

**Dean's POV**

It was already getting dark by the time we got to the house; kids were all over the place in costumes, carrying an assortment of candy bags with them, enjoying the festivities. We crept down the side of Don's house and peered through the windows. Nothing. Beth gestured to us from further down the side where she was looking in the basement window.

We saw a flash of candlelight and then I caught sight of Tracy tied to the ceiling and Don standing at an altar nearby.

"This is it, let's go," I whispered to them, running softly down the side of the house to the back door, which was open. We let ourselves in, moving quickly to the basement entrance located in the kitchen. As we moved down the stairs we could hear Don chanting in a foreign language. As I hit the bottom step to the basement I held my gun in front of me, just in time to see Don standing in front of Tracy and lifting a knife to stab her.

I didn't hesitate, pulling the trigger three times and shooting him dead. He fell to the ground and Tracy sobbed with relief. I quickly cut her down as Sam and Beth checked on Don's body. Tracy ripped the gag out of her mouth.

"Thank you, he was gonna kill me! Ugh, that sick son of a bitch. I mean, did you see what he was doing? Did you hear him?" She looked down at Don, rolling her eyes and putting her hands on her hips. "How _sloppy _his incantation was?"

Sloppy?

We all looked up at her with alarm in the same time.

"My brother..." Tracy said, and I saw Beth move to draw her gun again. "...always was a little dim."

It was too late, before any of us even got close to drawing our weapons Tracy threw her hand out in front of her, yelling an incantation and I felt myself lifted through the air, slamming against the ground in terrible pain, it felt like a thousand knives were stabbing into my stomach, I couldn't move.

"He was gonna make me the final sacrifice,_ his idea,_ but now, that honour goes to him. Our master's return? The spellwork's a two man job you understand, so for _six hundred years_ I had to deal with that pompous son of a bitch. Planning, preparing, unbearable. The whole time I wanted to rip his face off," Tracy said, leaning down to catch blood from Don's bullet wound into a chalice. "And you get him with a gun, uh, love that," she said with a chuckle.

She stood up and moved back toward the altar Don had been standing at earlier.

"You know back in the day, this was the one night you kept your children inside. Well tonight you'll all see what Halloween really is," she said.

We were going to fail, I couldn't move my body. I reached out for Beth and she grabbed my hand, looking at me with worry. Sam, groaning, crawled toward Don's dead body as Tracy started up the incantation again. He put his hand in the blood pooling under the body and then reached out, smearing it over Beth's face, and then reaching for me.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he rubbed blood over my face and then his own.

"Just follow my lead," he whispered back, moving away from Don. Tracy finished the incantation and the ground near us cracked, black smoke pouring out of it and into Don's body. I felt the pain leave my body but it was too late, we couldn't do anything about this demon right now, we were sitting ducks.

Don's body rose off the floor and I glimpsed white eyes like Lilith's peering out for a second before I shut my eyes altogether, hoping against hope he wouldn't realise we were still alive. We had to wait for our opportunity and run. He stood up, moving toward Tracy who turned and smiled at him. He leaned forward and kissed her.

"My love," Tracy said.

"You've aged," Samhain replied, looking at her face, beyond the girl she was disguised as.

"This face... I can't fool you," Tracy said sadly.

"Your beauty is beyond time," Samhain said, leaning in to rest his forehead against hers as she smiled. Suddenly there was a loud crack as he twisted her neck, breaking it, and she fell to the floor.

"Whore," he said.

The Demon turned toward us and I lay deadly still, grasping Beth's hand in my own and willing her to stay quiet. Sam did the same and after a moment Samhain walked past us, almost as if he couldn't see us, shutting the door behind him.

I leaned over to Sam once he was gone, feeling my like my heart was going to beat out of my chest. "What the Hell was that?" I asked softly.

"Halloween lore," Sam said. "People used to wear masks to hide from him, so I gave it a shot."

"You gave it a shot?!" I asked incredulously, what had he been thinking?!

* * *

_**Present Day  
**__**Fort Collins, Colorado**_

**Beth's POV**

We walked quickly toward the Impala, wiping the blood from our faces.

"Where the Hell are we gonna find this mook?" Dean asked as he opened the door and climbed in the front. I claimed the seat next to him and Sam took the back.

"Where would you go to raise dark forces of the night?" Sam asked.

"The cemetery," I answered, looking back at him.

"Yeah," Dean said with a nod, starting the car.

Sam sat forward as Dean drove and looked long and hard at Dean. "So, this demon's pretty powerful," he commented.

"Yeah," Dean agreed.

"Might take more than the usual weapons," he said quietly and I looked back at him, frowning. Was he suggesting what I thought he was suggesting? The look on Dean's face confirmed where I was going with it and he sighed.

"Sam, no, you're not using your psychic whatever," he said. "Don't even think about it, Ruby's knife is enough."

"Why?" Sam asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Well because the angels said so for one..."

"I thought you said they were a bunch of fanatics," Sam cut in and Dean scowled.

"Well they happen to be right about this one," Dean replied.

"I don't know, Dean, it doesn't seem like they're right about much," Sam bit back.

"Forget about the angels Sam, that's hardly the point," I said, turning to look at him. "Look, we haven't seen eye to eye on things much lately, but … well you said it yourself, these powers, it's like playing with fire. You are not _you _when you're using them Sam, it scares me."

Sam sighed, looking conflicted at me, and it was as if he wanted to argue, but he knew that his behaviour whilst using the powers hardly gave him a leg to stand on.

Dean picked up the knife and held it out to Sam.

"Please," he requested.

Sam took the knife, sitting back in the seat and looking out the window. I exchanged a worried look with Dean and then settled in the front seat to think about the fight ahead. What would be waiting for us when we arrived? How would we put to rest everything that Samhain raised from the grave?

I opened up my senses and thought about Cas, reaching out telepathically to him. Not surprisingly he wasn't responding, I'd only done it in dreams so far, but if today's experience proved anything, I now knew it could be done when awake. Then again, we'd failed to stop the rising and the seal had broken, it would stand to reason he might be a little annoyed, especially after Dean had been so determined that they could not wipe this town out. Once more, it looked like we were on our own again.

* * *

_**Cemetery**_

**Beth's POV**

When we arrived at the cemetery it was pretty clear where to go, the mausoleum doors were wide open and we could hear alarmed shouts from people inside. We ran down the stairs and found a group of teenagers locked behind a wrought iron gate with corpses that were soon going to be rising from the dead and trying to eat them. They looked at us in a panic and started talking at once, shaking the gates.

"Help them!" Sam said before starting to move.

"Dude, you're not going off alone," Dean said, grabbing his arm.

"Do it!" Sam said, running after Samhain. Dean threw me a frustrated look and then pulled out his gun.

"Stand back! Stand back!" Dean yelled at the group who were clawing at the locked doors, once they saw the gun they ran to the far wall and Dean shot the lock, kicking the gate open.

"Go on, come on, get out, move!" Dean yelled and I nodded at the wall of the mausoleum which was starting to crack. Within moments of the kids all getting out the cover to one of the graves crashed to the ground and broke, a zombie crawling out, followed by another grave opening and more zombies. Dean looked soberly at me, dropping the weapons bag to the ground and pulling out a silver stake.

"Bring it on, Stinky," he said with a dark look in the zombie's direction.

"Dean," I said, gesturing for a stake.

"Go help Sam," he said, glancing back at me and I shook my head. "Beth!" He said, frowning at me. I saw it in his eyes, he was more worried about Sam going after the demon alone, but he wasn't about to leave me here by myself to deal with the zombies either. I bit my lip, fighting with myself and he crossed to me, handing me the stake, not that it would do any good against the demon. He kissed me quickly and hard, looking in my eyes and then pushed me in the direction Sam had gone.

"Go," he ordered and I nodded, taking a few steps. "And Beth?" I looked back and saw he'd already pulled another stake out of the weapons bag. "Don't get dead, huh?"

I smiled and nodded. "You too," I answered before jogging down the hallway toward Sam.

I ran down a couple of corridors that twisted like a rabbit warren, finally seeing Sam enter into a private crypt followed by a flash of light flaring out from where he was. I gasped and moved quickly toward him.

"Yeah, that demon ray gun stuff? It doesn't work on me," Sam said with a smirk to Samhain. A fight broke out between the two of them, and I reached the arch in time to see them both land some lucky punches, and then Samhain got Sam around the neck, pushing him up against the wall.

Sam was struggling to get Ruby's knife out as I rushed toward them, ramming the only weapon I had into Samhain's neck. The spike splintered at least a couple of vertebrae but it didn't stop him. Instead he turned to look at me, and I felt myself propelled from my feet, hitting the wall hard. I slumped to the ground, winded, as Sam brought the knife down into Samhain's arm. It sizzled and glowed red, catching the demon by surprise, but wasn't enough. He flung his arm aside and the knife went sliding across the floor as Samhain turned his attentions back to Sam, tossing him across the room into the wall opposite me.

The demon started to run at Sam, but was stopped short when he put up his hand, using his psychic power to stop him. Samhain struggled against him, advancing a few steps, but not getting far. Dean come running around the corner, his face fell when he saw Sam using his powers and then he saw me on the ground and ran to my side.

"You okay?" He asked as I struggled to my feet, leaning against the wall heavily and I nodded.

"The knife..."

Dean looked around; his eyes searching for the knife but Sam and the demon were between us and the only other weapon we had to kill this creature. Sam was concentrating hard on Samhain, and I panicked when I started to see blood running from his nose. Dean moved around them toward the knife as Sam gripped his head with the one hand he didn't have extended in front of him; he was struggling.

Finally, black smoke started to pour out of Samhain's mouth and sunk into the ground as Dean reached the knife, turning back to Sam, but it was too late – Sam had exorcised the demon, Don's body falling to the ground. Sam gasped for breath and I moved toward him while Dean watched on, conflicted. We all stared at the body of the dead teacher on the floor, breathing hard and then looking at each other in resignation.

"Come on," I said, taking Sam by the arm and supporting him. "Let's get out of here," I said to Dean, before he started with the lecture.

* * *

_**Next Morning  
**__**Motel Room**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean was out packing the car while I brushed my teeth and ran a brush through my hair, tying it up into a ponytail. Suddenly I heard voices coming from the motel room, and when I realised it wasn't Dean talking to Sam, I stood at the door listening in.

"Tomorrow," someone said and I realised it was Uriel speaking to Sam who was inside packing. "November 2nd, it's an anniversary for you."

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"It's the day Azazel killed your mother, and twenty two years later your girlfriend too. It must be difficult to bear, yet you so brazenly use the power he gave you. His profane blood pumping through your veins," Uriel pressed.

"Excuse me?" Sam asked.

"You were told not to use your abilities," Uriel said.

"And what was I supposed to do? That demon would have killed me, my sister, my brother and everyone else," Sam said.

"You were _told_ not to," Uriel said.

"If Samhain had gotten loose in this town..."

"You've been warned, twice now," Uriel continued and I felt myself getting angry at the lecture. It hadn't been Sam's fault this time; he'd only been doing what he had to in order to keep us all safe.

"You know what?" Sam asked, looking up as I opened the door to the bathroom, hesitating on threshold. "My brother was right about you, you are dicks," Sam said.

I looked around to see Uriel sitting on the couch looking at Sam with a haughty expression, and then suddenly he had moved so quickly I didn't even see it and he was standing in front of Sam.

"The only reason you're still alive, Sam Winchester, is because you've been useful. But the moment that ceases to be true, the _second_ you become more trouble than you're worth, one word_. One,_ and I will turn you to dust," he said to Sam.

"Hey!" I said, moving into the room and glaring at the angel.

Uriel backed off, looking at me and then back at Sam. "As for your brother, tell him that maybe he should climb off that high horse of his. Ask Dean what he remembers from Hell." Uriel said. "Failing that... ask his wife," he said, and Sam looked at me, wide-eyed as Uriel vanished to the sound of wings fluttering.

* * *

_**City Park**_

**Dean's POV**

It was the day after Halloween, and kids were running around laughing and playing on the playground, completely oblivious to the dangers that they had narrowly avoided during the night. I sensed the arrival of Cas before I saw him, and wasn't surprised to see him sitting at the end of the bench when I glanced over.

"Let me guess, you're here for the 'I told you so'," I said to him.

"No," Cas said simply and I looked over at him.

"Well, good, cause I'm really not that interested," I said. "Beth told me about that little conversation you had with Uriel about my _potential_? I guess I screwed this one up."

"I am not here to judge you, Dean," Cas said and I frowned, not expecting that.

"Then why are you here?"

Cas looked at me. "Our orders..."

"Yeah, you know, I've had about enough of these orders of yours-"

"Our orders," Cas cut in, looking at me. "Were not to stop the summoning of Samhain, they were to do whatever you told us to do."

I paused, looking at him, the logic in that was just … wrong.

"Your orders were to follow my orders?" I asked, flabbergasted.

"It was a test, to see how you would perform under... battlefield conditions, you might say," Cas said.

"It was a witch, not the Tet Offensive," I said and Cas chuckled. I looked out over the children playing again, seeing Beth walking toward us from the other side of the park. I smiled at her and then turned back to Cas.

"So I, uh, failed your test, huh? Been failing at a lot of things lately, I get it. But you know what? If you would have waved that magic time-travelling wand of yours and we had to do it all over again, I'd make the same call," I said, looking over at Cas who nodded slightly, watching me intently. "'Cause see, I don't know what's gonna happen when these seals are broken, Hell I don't even know what's gonna happen tomorrow. But what I do know is, that this, here? These kids, the swings, the trees, all of it is still here because of my brother, my wife, and me." I said, slipping my arm around Beth's waist as she reached us, sitting down next to me with a smile.

"You misunderstand me, Dean. I'm not like you think; I would think Beth could tell you that. I was praying you would choose to save the town," Cas said, and Beth chuckled, smiling over at Cas.

"You were?" I asked, curious.

"These people, they're all my father's creations. They're works of art, and yet, even though you stopped Samhain, the seal was broken and we are one step closer to Hell on earth, for all creation. Now that's not an expression, Dean, it's literal. You of all people should appreciate what that means," Cas said and I swallowed, feeling the burden of failure sit heavily on my heart.

Cas looked over at Beth, and then back at me. "Can I tell you both something if you promise not to tell another soul?"

Beth nodded and I looked at Cas. "Okay."

"I'm not a… hammer as you say. I have questions, I have doubts," he said and for the first time I saw the uncertainty cross his face as he stared at the kids running around the playground. "I don't know what is right and what is wrong anymore, whether you passed or failed here. But in the coming months you will have more decisions to make."

I felt Beth squeeze my right shoulder as I looked at Cas, seeing the concern in his eyes for both of us.

"What I do know, is that if you two don't get past this... dark period... then you don't stand a hope in Heaven of succeeding. I don't envy the weight that's on your shoulders, especially you Dean. I truly don't. And you need each other."

I looked out at the children again and when I glanced back Cas was gone, leaving me alone with Beth. She leaned in to my shoulder, grasping my hand in her own and leaning her head against my shoulder.

"Told you he was one of the good guys," she said softly and I chuckled, nodding.

"And what about me?" I asked, looking at her doubtfully.

She turned her face up to mine, watching me carefully and then kissed me softly on the lips. "You're the ultimate good guy Dean, why do you think I love you?" She asked. I thought about all the evil things I'd done in Hell, and I didn't believe her. It was undeserved, this devotion from her. But she was smiling at me, and not running away for the moment, so I'd take it.

I slipped my arm around her shoulders and she sighed softly, leaning into me again and turning to watch the kids again. "We need to go see Ben and Lisa again," she said and I nodded, kissing her forehead.

"And that is why you're so incredible," I said to her. "You look after everyone else, often at a detriment to yourself," I clarified at her confused look. She looked at me sadly and then shrugged, looking away again.

"Ben's your son Dean, and he missed you while you were gone, it's gonna take time to fix that, he's never going to forget what we told him," she said.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "Yeah, you're right."

I cursed at myself for doing that to the kid. Maybe it would have been better if we'd just told him I died in a car crash or something. But that would have been even harder to explain now I was back, and I didn't like lying my kid. He was smart, and he said he understood what I was telling him, but I worried – I worried I'd turn into my father and take things too far with him. It's why I relied on Beth so much to keep me honest with it, because no way in Hell was she going to let me mess up Ben the way Dad had messed up me, no way.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

* * *

Song for this chapter is: _Somewhere In Between _by Lifehouse

* * *

Hope you enjoyed the little _First Date _flashback. It follows on a week after John gives his blessing to Dean & Beth in _Resolution – Dead In The Water (Part 3) _Chapter 12 in _Hell To Pay. _ It's also immediately before _Stolen Moments _– Chapter 2 in _Highway to Hell. _

* * *

I have an original flashback planned _soon _which will cover the period almost immediately after the first date, and we get to see early relationship Dean and Beth go on a hunt, looking forward to writing that!

* * *

Next up is an original piece before I get to _Wishful Thinking _as Dean and Beth start to come to grips with the guilt they feel around their actions in the last year, their PTSD and deal with the aftermath of everything that's happened. I'm hoping to have it up by the end of the weekend, but it's just going to depend on how well the writing flows, it's fairly keen on being written, so I'm hoping it is a fast update

* * *

Welcome to all the new readers, hope you're enjoying the story so far! We have a facebook page too where I'm always posting SPN related stuff, Dean & Beth fanart and things, plus little questions about the stories and their updates etc. Check us out if you're interested by searching Facebook for Dean & Beth – Supernatural Fanfic

* * *

As always, thank you to everyone who sent reviews for the last chapter, I haven't had a chance to reply yet, but I will get to it, things have been really hectic as I try to squeeze in time to write around all my other life commitments. Just know that I absolutely treasure all my reviews and love to get them, they get me smiling all day!

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That being said, please review and tell me what you think! It totally makes my day xoxo (Plus, you know, I assume you hate it if no one says otherwise haha)


	13. Blood on our Hands

_Hey  
Show me one man that's never made mistakes  
Oh,  
And I'll pay  
All of my time and every dime I made  
But today_

_The best of intentions I lay at your feet_  
_And I need you to see past the worst part of me_

_I'm tired of taking my aim_  
_When I keep on missing_  
_There's gotta be a better way_  
_Gotta be a better way_

_And every little word I say_  
_Keeps getting twisted_  
_Coming out wrong_  
_So baby hold on_  
_I'm tryin' to hit the mark_  
_But I'm shooting with broken arrows_  
_It's like I'm shooting with broken arrows_

* * *

**BLOOD ON OUR HANDS**

* * *

_**Shreveport, Louisiana**_

**Beth's POV**

The morgue technician pulled the drawer out of the refrigerated wall unit and I sighed, looking at the young man on the slab. He looked as if he was doing nothing more than taking a nap, apart from the fact that he had his chest sewn completely up the front of him from an autopsy – oh, and his eyes were completely missing.

"You say he was a suicide?" I asked and the technician nodded at me.

"Sure looks like it, though we're not why he would gouge out his eyes first, that just seems a little odd," she said and I scrunched up my nose.

"What was cause of death?" Dean asked, looking over at her.

"I'd say the twenty floor drop about did it," she said with a lopsided grin. I shook my head and noticed how she seemed to be flirting her ass off with my husband, who was of course, _not my husband _in this moment, he was my partner. I still didn't have to like it.

I nodded. "Thank you for your time," I said, starting to follow Dean as he turned toward the door.

"Anytime," she said with a wave of her hand and she covered the body up again with a sheet, sliding the door back into the unit with a resounding click.

I shuddered at the sound and kept walking, everything around me was on heightened awareness right now and I couldn't even explain why. It'd been over two weeks since I'd returned from Heaven and I still couldn't get back into the swing of things.

Dean waited at the door for me, and I took a moment to assess how he was doing. His eyes looked tired, and he was starting to get black circles under them. Neither of us was sleeping that much, on top of it we weren't doing much of anything else either and it was making for a very strained relationship right about now.

All I could think about what how he wouldn't be going through any of this if it weren't for me. If I hadn't made that deal which got Sam out of dying, Dean wouldn't have had to counter the deal with one of his own to save me from going to Hell. Life would be so much simpler. I didn't even want to think about my relationship with Sam.

We walked down the steps of the hospital and out to the car park in silence; the wind picked up and caught my hair from underneath, causing it to wash over my face and I pulled it all back with one hand, holding it in place.

"You know, this is not the first odd death in the last week around here, and not the first with a suicide involved," I said as we reached the car.

"Yeah, right. That.. uh... that couple in Hot Springs," Dean said with a nod.

"And another one in Jackson," I said, pulling out a map and spreading it over the hood of the car, marking the locations on the map.

"Whatever this thing is, it's on the move," Dean said, frowning at the map.

"Yeah, and it's heading south west... Hard to say where it might turn up next, or if it's moved on yet," I commented. He nodded solemnly, looking at the marks on the paper.

"Well these are all pretty major towns, there might be some in between too that could tip us off, other wise if the pattern sticks, he might be headed to either Dallas... or Houston, or anywhere in between," Dean said.

"We need to determine the timeframe, see if it's sticking around in one place for a few days," I said and he nodded.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Sam's POV**

I stared at the screen in front of me, the pattern starting to take shape, and yet at the same time, it was so outrageously strange that I couldn't quite get it all sorted either.

Dean and Beth came in the door looking completely exhausted and I paused to wonder just how much sleep either of them had gotten in the last couple of weeks. I considered dumping them down in New Orleans to get in on some late Dia De Los Muertos celebrations, but I didn't think they'd take too kindly to that given our brush with Samhain over Halloween.

"Hey," I said, looking up at them. "So, I've pieced together a bit of a timeline and you're right, this creature is definitely on the move." I pulled out a stack of police reports that dated back the last month, and handed them to Dean who flipped through them.

"Reports going back to Pennsylvania... Nashville, Louisville, Cincinatti, Columbus, Pittsburgh...that seems to be where the path stops... or started, I should say." I said, watching Dean. "All vics have their eyes gouged out, and they committed suicide in some way... usually by violence such as jumping off a building or in front of a train, or turning a gun on themselves."

Beth shuddered and shook her head. "Great..."

"Well it's not one of those creatures from down south... you know, the ones that eat the eyes," Dean surmised based on that information. "After all, they also the teeth and nails."

"What? The Ahuizhotl?" Beth asked and Dean nodded.

"Yeah, that one." Dean said with a nod. We'd never come across one of them in our lives.

"I don't think they come out of South America," Beth said thoughtfully. Of course, we'd thought that about Chupacabra too, and they had been running rampart in the midwest until recently.

"So what else can cause these symptoms?" Dean asked and I shrugged, his guess was as good as mine.

"Well, I know a good place to start with the questioning," Beth said, looking up from a police report. "Apparently his fiancée witnessed the jump, and according to the police, she blamed herself."

"Really?" Dean asked and she nodded.

"Well, let's pay her a visit," I said, standing up and grabbing my jacket. If we were going to get to the bottom of this before anyone further got hurt, we'd have to move fast, according to the pattern there was likely to be two more deaths before we could kiss the creature good bye until it surfaced in a new town.

* * *

_**Magnolia, Arkansas**_

**Dean's POV**

The woman sitting in front of us looked distraught and broken, and I couldn't say as I blamed her given how her fiancée had bit the dust. She sniffed back another tear, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue while Beth sat with her at the kitchen table.

"And why were you visiting Shreveport, Ms Parsons?" I asked the woman, taking a seat at the table with them.

"We were going to the casino to celebrate our three year anniversary," she answered.

"I understand this must be very difficult Ms Parsons," said Beth, "...but can you tell us how Mr Brady died?"

She nodded at Beth and started to sob again and I exchanged a look with Sam who started to discreetly look around the house for any signs of a creature, though in all reality, it was more likely the creature might be at the hotel than here.

"It's Ellen," the girl clarified with Beth, who nodded a reply.

"Ellen, sorry" Beth said, smiling.

"He had been down at the blackjack tables, I'd joined him a couple of times, but I don't really enjoy gambling that much..." Ellen said and I noticed her left eye twitch, she was lying.

"We were down a couple hundred dollars but Eric kept insisting we could win it back," she said. She sighed and covered her face with a hand, shaking her head. "I went to the ATM to get some more cash, and that's when I saw her."

"Saw who?" I asked, confused.

"This woman, she was... beautiful, but haunting. Long red hair and pale white skin. She almost looked like a ghost, if you could believe that?" I nodded encouragingly, gesturing for her to go on. "Well, she looked right at me and then she started to cry... only it wasn't just cry... it was more like a... a wail. It was ear-piercing and when I looked around, no one else could hear her!"

"There were other people around you?" Sam asked, looking over from the living room where he was standing, he was frowning like he'd just hit upon what might be the creature.

"Yes, at least a dozen people," she said with a nod. "I was upset, so I went back to find Eric, only he was gone."

"Where was he?" I asked.

"He'd gone back to our room, which I thought was odd because he'd been waiting for me to come back with the money," she said.

"Is that where you found him?" Beth asked, and Ellen started to cry again.

"He was..." she looked at me and then back at Beth. "You have to understand... I _love _my fiancée, I would never do anything to deliberately hurt him. But... this whole thing, it's my fault."

Beth frowned and looked up from the notes she was taking. "I thought Mr Brady jumped from the window?"

"The roof, actually," Ellen said, dabbing at her eyes with a kleenex.

"Shouldn't that be sealed off?" I asked and she nodded.

"No one can explain how he got up there, I don't even know how it happened. One second he was in the room, and we were arguing, and the next he was walking out the door, and when I went after him, he'd vanished."

"Why do you say it's your fault?" Beth asked, looking at the woman.

Ellen looked up at Sam and then me, shifting uncomfortably. I considered this and then stood up, looking at Sam.

"Uh, Agent Hamill, would you come outside with me for a moment?" I asked. "I'd like to discuss a couple of other cases with you." Sam looked at me confused but didn't argue. Beth smiled at me as I stood up and looked down at her.

"You got this?" I asked and she nodded. Ellen smiled at me and nodded at her.

"Agent Fisher can finish getting your statement," I said to her and I turned to leave, wondering just what was so terrible that she didn't want to talk about it in front of Sam and me.

* * *

**Beth's POV**

Ellen waited for the boys to leave before looking at me.

"You're a woman," she said to me and I nodded.

"Last time I checked..." I said with a grin, and she giggled.

"I loved my fiancée, with all my heart, and there was no one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with..." she said.

"But?" I asked, because clearly there was one coming.

"But... when we were first dating... I was a mess. I had a gambling addiction, and lots of debts because of it. I owed one casino owner nearly ten thousand dollars, and there was just no getting out of it," she said.

I nodded, not saying anything.

"One night, he came to me, I'd been seeing Eric about three months and I knew he was the one. But this guy, he... he wanted his money, and when I couldn't pay he offered me a way out. Said he had a high profile player coming in to the casino who … wanted some company for the weekend."

I kept my face impassive, but the implications of what she was saying were starting to hit home.

"He was willing to clear your debt if you spent the weekend with this man?" I asked and she nodded, tears brimming in her eyes again.

"I told Eric I had to go out of town for the weekend, a family funeral, boring stuff, and I did it. I spent the weekend with the guy, and after that I never went back to a casino ever again," she said, wringing her hands.

"Until the weekend?" I asked and she nodded.

"Eric loves to play a bit of blackjack. I'd managed to avoid casinos for the whole time we'd been together, but he insisted. When I went to get the money from the ATM, Eric said some blind man came up to him and said I was hiding a deep betrayal from him."

I frowned, that was unusual wording for this day and age. "Did he use those exact words?" I asked.

Ellen nodded. "Yes, I thought it odd too, but as soon as he said it, I knew that he knew what I'd done. I begged him to understand but he refused to listen, asking me how could I do that? How could I prostitute myself out, and at the same time we were dating!" She sobbed into her hands and I reached out a hand to rest it on her arm, smiling sadly at her.

"He... he ran out of the room, and when I went after him, he was already gone. The next thing I knew there was a commotion and he'd thrown himself off the building. It was my fault." Ellen said.

I wasn't convinced it had been her doing that had driven this man to suicide, but I could see where she might think that and blame herself. The heart was a tricky thing. I understood only too well what it was to blame yourself for the torment of someone you loved. I struggled with it every day, watching Dean battle his demons and try not to trigger me with any further aggression.

"One more thing," I said to Ellen and she looked up at me. "This woman you saw, did she say anything to you?"

Ellen looked at me and nodded. "She said... she said 'Betrayer...'" She replied.

I frowned and then thanked the woman for her time, parting with my sincerest apologies. She looked at me and nodded, showing me to the door.

* * *

_**Impala**_

**Sam's POV**

"Wailing woman, that sounds like a banshee," Dean said as he pointed the car back toward Shreveport. Beth nodded, looking over at him.

"Yeah, but they don't usually speak," she said, and I had to agree.

"What the Hell does a banshee have to do with this case? They don't actually _kill anyone..._do they?" Dean asked.

I leaned forward and shook my head. "No, they're just harbingers of death, and they're usually tied to a specific family – as far as I can tell, none of the victims have anything in common like being related."

Dean sighed and thumped the steering wheel, looking ahead at the road. "So are we looking for a banshee or something else?" he asked.

"Well the only thing we've had any real lead on is the woman," Beth said quietly. "Although I'd like to see some of the video footage to see if anyone talked to Eric Brady while Ellen was away from the blackjack table."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Dean asked her with a grin and I rolled my eyes. Beth smiled back at him and raised an eyebrow in response.

"Oh man, this is great!" Dean said with a chuckle. "Did you bring your lucky black dress?"

"Dean, I don't have a lucky black dress!" Beth said with a shake of her head.

"Hmmm, well maybe we should fix that," he said with a grin and I rolled my eyes sitting back.

"We are meant to be working, guys..." I pointed out, and they both looked back at me.

"Yeah, I know that," Dean said, his eyes catching mine in the rear vision mirror. "But you know, there's... research and all that...gotta look the part." He chuckled again at some inside joke and I swear the car lurched forward in his eagerness to get us checked into the casino hotel.

"Well, while you contemplate the craps table, I'm going to point out that we have probably a matter of four maybe five days before this creature moves on. From what I can make out, it spends about a week in one place, and there's been three deaths at each location, each time." I said.

Beth frowned and contemplated this. "So Eric was number one?"

"Looks that way."

"Sounds like the place to be is the casino then," she said, and Dean nodded enthusiastically.

"Exactly what I was saying!" He said with another grin.

"Hey, so Sam, when we get there, you check out the security footage; I'm taking Beth shopping," Dean said and I looked incredulously at him.

"Shopping?" I asked.

"Yeah, Dean, I don't know about that..." Beth said, raising her eyebrow at him. "I think we should focus on the case."

"And we will be, we're going undercover! Come on!" Dean said and she sighed softly at him, her face softening.

It'd been a strange couple of weeks since she got back from being missing. Whatever had happened during that time, she had no memory of it other than to say she was caught in a dream world similar to when she'd been attacked by the djinn.

I did notice that things hadn't gone back to being business as usual with the pair of them. They hadn't gotten then own room yet, which meant things were stalling on the bedroom front, and Dean was tiptoeing around her trying not to trigger any further freak-outs from Beth, while she seemed to be battling demons of her own.

They were very uncomfortable to be around actually, and it made me think about how easy things had been when I'd been on my own, or with Ruby, for that matter. Doing my own hunts, not having to worry about my wayward siblings. It had felt good.

Same as usual, neither of them were talking about what was going on either, preferring to hide behind that false bravado that kept us all on tenterhooks.

I hoped they were going to sort things out soon, because it was driving me nuts! I resolved to get my own room when we got to the casino – if nothing else, it would give me the space to get my head around the case without having to listen to Dean going on about the craps table.

* * *

_**Casino Hotel  
Shreveport, Louisiana**_

**Dean's POV**

I was pushing it, I knew that, but I had to; there was something stewing below the surface with Beth and naturally, I just wasn't going to let it go. If it had been anyone else I couldn't have cared less and would have left the Dr Phil routine to Sam, but this was Beth, and she didn't stew often so I knew something deeper was going on.

She was looking at the black dress I was holding up in front of me with a large element of hesitation and disbelief.

"Dean, I'm not wearing that!" She said, raising an eye at the low cut back which was even worse than the low cut front and short hem.

"Awwww, why not?" I asked with a grin and she couldn't help but smile back at me.

"We're working a job here, not looking to get laid!" She said and I chuckled.

"Why can't we do both?" I questioned, and she shook her head at me with another smile. She crossed to me from the rack of dresses she was standing by and captured my face in her hands, kissing me softly as she pulled my lips down to hers.

I moaned softly, leaning in to the kiss, forgetting about the dress as I slid an arm around her waist, pulling her in tighter to press against my body. She murmured softly in reply, arms coming up around my neck, and as I started to kiss my way along her neck she stiffened, pulling away slightly.

"Sorry," she said quietly, running a hand through her hair.

"It's okay," I said, frowning slightly and biting my lower lip. "What's going on Beth?"

"Nothing," she said, a little too quickly as she turned to look at some of the dresses on the rack next to me – now I knew she was lying.

"Yeah, okay, sure," I said dubiously, watching her. She fought back a couple of tears and then threw me a cheeky grin, pulling a red dress off the rack in much the same style as I was already holding, only instead of the back being completely cut out, it had a lace panel and something about that was even sexier than bare skin. I'd had a fetish for Beth in lace ever since her twenty-first birthday.

"What about this one?" She asked and I grinned.

"Even better," I said with a nod and she smiled, walking toward the counter.

"Of course I'll need shoes to match!" She threw back and me and I shook my head in amusement. At the end of the day, she was still a girl at heart.

Suddenly there was a commotion out the front of the building and I frowned, moving to the door as Beth presented a credit card to the cashier and paid for her dress. People were rushing toward the front doors and I peered out seeing Sam join them, his height a dead give away for the man.

"What's going on?" Beth asked as she rejoined me, noting the activity and I shrugged.

"Time to find out," I said, placing my hand at her waist and guiding us out into the lobby.

Sirens were wailing in the distance and a number of security guards were making their way to the scene, pushing back a crowd of spectators. I pulled out my FBI badge and wove through the people, flashing it at the security officers who let us through without question. Sam had done the same, and was now standing over a dead body sprawled across the marble floors of the lobby.

"What happened?" I asked as we reached him and he looked up, frowning.

"Guy just slashed his own throat in front of everyone," Sam said quietly and we gazed down at the red splatter across the floor and on a couch that was sitting in the middle of the lobby with palm trees either side. I leaned down to inspect the body and noted that his eyes, just like the last victim's were gouged out of his sockets. What had the power to do that? And why?

"Tom!" A woman's voice called out and she screamed when she saw the scene. I moved quickly, putting my arm around the petite young woman and pulling her away from the crowd.

"Agent Ford, Ms...?" I looked at her expectantly and she blinked, frowning.

"Uh, Hanniger, Mrs Hanniger" she said, shaking her head. "Gemma."

"Mrs Hanniger," I said with a nod. "I think it's best if you don't go over there," I said. "Do you know the deceased?"

"He's my husband!" She said, tears welling in her eyes. "We're, we're on our honeymoon."

I looked up and saw Beth walking down a corridor, hurrying as if something had caught her eye. Sam was conversing with a paramedic who had just started to arrive.

"I hate to ask, but did your husband have any mental issues?" I asked. "Show any signs that he might hurt himself?"

"No!" Gemma said vehemently, shaking her head. "No, he's just had a promotion at the bank where he works, we had the wedding, he's... he's happy..." she said softly, her voice trailing off as she started to sob, burying her face into my chest. I sighed and put an arm around her comfortingly.

"Is there anyone I can call for you Mrs Hanniger?" I asked and she shook her head.

"No, I'll uh, I'll call my sister myself," she said and I nodded, pulling back.

"Mrs Hanniger. Has anything strange happened to you during your stay here?" I asked, watching as her eyes narrowed while she took in this question. "Strange noises, flickering lights, cold spots maybe?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, nothing," she said and then she paused. "Well, there was this one thing," she said.

I nodded. "Go on..."

"There was this woman..." She said. "She came up to me in the lobby earlier and she was... making this sound... like a..."

"Like a wail?" I asked, looking at her. She nodded at me vigorously.

"Yes, exactly!" Gemma said.

"What did she look like?" I asked.

"Uh, red hair, white skin, thin, wearing a white dress," she said.

"Did she say anything to you?" I questioned.

"Yes, she did say one thing. She said 'betrayer'," Gemma said. And just like that she burst into tears. "How did she know?!" She keened and I frowned at her. Well that was unexpected.

* * *

_**Hotel Lobby**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean was quick to move the woman away from the scene of the death, and I watched as he led her to a corner, talking to her quietly. I scanned the faces of the people gathered, looking for any sort of clue as to whether any of them might have more information to impart, but everyone looked as shocked and startled as the woman had.

I sighed, turning to glance up at the clock on the wall and a flash of red caught my eye. I honed in and found myself staring down the corridor of the lobby toward a section of gaming rooms. As I watched, a woman turned – her hair red and long, flowing down her back. She was dressed in a white dress and her skin was as white as porcelain and I knew instantly it was the banshee.

Without explanation I pushed through the crowd, leaving Sam with the body, and started to hurry down the corridor. The woman walked slowly away from me and I called out.

"Hey! Hey lady! FBI, stop!" She continued to walk as I pulled my gun, pointing it at her. As I got closer and she refused to stop moving I called out. "These are iron bullets," I said and she stopped, turning to face me with a smile.

"Who are you?" I asked, and she looked directly into my eyes.

"Betrayer," she whispered as if she was looking into my soul. I frowned. _What?_

"What are you talking about?" I asked, but she said no more, starting to wail, a keening that echoed through my head as I grasped my free hand to my temples. It appeared no one around us could hear her as people continued to walk by as if we were just having a regular conversation, like they couldn't even see the gun I had drawn.

"Stop it!" I said, only to have the noise grown louder. I pointed my gun at her, taking a breath and concentrated. She watched me, and something flashed in the back of my mind. Banshees didn't talk, which made this all the more strange, it occurred to me that maybe she wasn't a banshee, and I had to know more. Taking a couple of quick steps toward her, I was going to attempt to cuff her, but she moved away as if floating on a breeze. With a smile, she turned and moved into a crowd of people.

I pushed through, badge out. "FBI, move!" I said, urgently looking for the red-headed woman, but she'd managed to slip from sight. I sighed, tucking my gun back into my waistband and shook my head. I needed to find Dean and do some research. I was suddenly struck with a fear that something horrible might happen to him, I wasn't the first one who had seen this woman, and who had heard the word _betrayer._

* * *

_**Hotel Security Room**_

**Sam's POV**

I couldn't find Dean or Beth once the body had been cleared away so I decided to go and check out the security footage. A mid-aged man with an over-sized stomach let me into the room and started to pull up footage from the incident we'd just experience. While I was viewing that, he also pulled up the footage from the blackjacks table three days ago when Eric Brady had apparently been approached by someone.

"His fiancée was in the lobby at the ATM when a woman approached her around the same time, can you check those cameras too?" I asked and he nodded his agreement.

I used the controls to zoom in on the incident I had just left, I'd been seconds out from seeing it happen in person. I watched as Tom Hanniger got into an altercation with his wife, they argued and she stormed off and then suddenly his eyes lit up with a piercing white light and he yelled as if in pain, pulling a knife from his pocket and drawing it across his throat.

This was not something that was easily done, but Tom Hanniger wasn't just anyone, he was ex-marine and a hardened warrior, he'd just returned from a tour of Iraq. Police would be putting it down to a case of PTSD but I wasn't convinced, especially since no one could explain the burned out eyes.

Moving on to the footage of Eric I found the spot where he was at the blackjack table, talking to his fiancée. They got into an argument and then she left, presumably to get more cash for the table. He played a couple more rounds and then a tall man approached him wearing dark sunglasses and sporting a cane – he was blind – _Bingo!_ He was regal looking, standing straight and upright, dressed impeccably in a black suit; the only strange thing about him was his extremely long hair. It was black and cascaded down his back, tied every foot with a clip so that he looked like he belonged in Ancient Greece or something. In spite of this, he didn't look out of place, and no one paid him any attention, except Eric.

The man walked up and touched Eric on the shoulder, and they looked at each other, the stranger speaking low and intently to Eric who suddenly stood up, looking shocked. He nodded and then walked away. I flipped to another range of cameras, watching as Eric left the casino and moved into the lobby, taking an elevator to his room. I looked at the timestamp on the video, it was about an hour before he would jump to his death.

I paused, frowning at the screen and thinking things through.

"Here's that footage you wanted," said the man next to me and I nodded as he pulled up several screens on the large viewer. Ellen Young was at the ATM taking money out when a beautiful pale woman approached her. She said something, a single word to Ellen, and then began to wail. True to her word, the people around them seemed not to notice, and yet cameras clearly picked up on the same thing Ellen was seeing.

The next bit of footage showed Ellen going back to her hotel room and entering, and fifteen minutes later Eric left again.

* * *

_**Security Room**_

**Dean's POV**

"Is it possible to see the cameras from an hour before this latest incident?" Sam asked as I stuck my head around the door to the security room and saw him receive a nod in reply.

"Which ones?" The man with him asked.

"I'm not sure, try outside their room, or maybe the lobby cameras."

I knocked to announce my presence and Sam waved me in.

"How's it going?" I asked and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, we found the guy, but we don't know what he was saying to Brady," he answered.

"Where's Beth?" I questioned, looking around the room.

"She isn't with you?" Sam asked absently, and I felt my heart skip a beat as Sam continued scrolling through a camera and then stopping it short, there was the same mysterious man from three days ago, this time talking to Tom Hanniger.

"There," Sam said. "That's him."

I leaned forward and frowned. "What's with the hair?" I asked. Long thick black hair tumbled down his back like he was an Arabian princess. It was tied back in seven long braids that hit the backs of his thighs when he moved. That was some seriously long hair, it was like the guy thought he was freaking Rapunzel or something, it was ridiculous.

"I dunno," Sam said thoughtfully.

"And he's the same guy who talked to Brady before he jumped?" I asked, Sam confirmed it with a nod.

"We need to find this guy," Sam said and I wholeheartedly agreed.

"You know I left Beth with you, did she say where she was going?" I asked, coming back to my original question. I didn't like it when she just disappeared like this, up until a fortnight ago, it never happened.

"No, I was checking out the body when she just disappeared," Sam answered, seeming unconcerned, which just irritated me to no end.

"Hey, buddy, can you pull up the lobby footage from the incident?" I asked the security guard with Sam and he nodded.

"Already up," he said helpfully, standing up and waving me into the chair he vacated. I took a seat, smiling my thanks and started to speed through the four different camera angles. When I saw the three of us arrive on the scene I slowed the camera down, watching as Gemma Hanniger broke through the assembled group and then started to scream. I saw myself pull her away and go off camera to speak with her, and I continued to watch as Beth scanned the area, looking for clues.

Suddenly she froze and then without warning she pushed her way through the crowd of spectators, hurrying down a corridor.

"There," I said, pointing to the screen. "Where does that come out? Can I see those cameras?" I asked.

Sam paused what he was doing and looked over, a frown on his face. "You got something?"

"Yeah, maybe," I said, waiting as the guard pulled up the relevant cameras. We all watched as Beth pulled her gun, pointing it at a red-haired woman, I saw her say a few words but no one seemed to notice her, it was as if she was talking to thin air. Beth hesitated, and then suddenly rushed forward.

I watched as Beth ran into the crowd, trying to get them to move, but was unsuccessful. She looked anxious, running a hand through her hair and even at this distance from the camera I could see her biting her lip. She was worried. _Just what had gone on down there?_

Finally after a few moments Beth headed for the elevator and I deduced that she was going back to our room. _Why? Wouldn't she come looking for us? _It made me feel nervous.

"Man, I gotta get up there," I said, I glanced over that the guard and quickly added something that didn't make me look like a worried husband. "...and see if she got any leads. Thanks for your help man."

I stood, looking at Sam who nodded and shook hands with the guard. "Thanks Ted, we'll be back to look at this again," he said.

"Anytime Agent Hamill," he said with a nod. "I'll be here."

I was already out the door, rushing to get to the elevators that would take us up to the floor our room was on. I felt sick with worry and I couldn't even tell you why, I just knew she wasn't in a good head space, that had been clear. I tapped my foot, watching the floors tick away as Sam stood infuriatingly calmly next to me.

"Relax, Dean, she's a big girl, she's probably just taking a shower or something," Sam said and I rolled my eyes. It was my job to look after her, not that I'd been doing such a crash hot job of that lately, but I was trying, I was more terrified that she'd been retreating, that I was losing her, and I didn't know what to do about that.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Beth's POV**

I paced in front of the bed in the hotel room, glancing at the screen of the laptop that was sitting there every now and then. _What the Hell was going on here? Who was this woman? And why had she called me a Betrayer? What was I doing here?_

I thought back to the woman and frowned, rolled my neck to the left and then the right, stretching it out. I was so tense! She knew something about what was going on, I knew it, but I was having my doubts about her being a banshee. It just didn't fit.

The door to the room opened and I was relieved to see Dean walk through it.

"Hey," he said, smiling when he saw me, but his eyes said something more, he'd been worried because I'd just disappeared.

"Hey, sorry for taking off..." I said, moving to wrap my arms around his waist. It had been so long since we'd been able to just be comfortable in our own skin with each other, and I really needed it, but Dean was still anxious around me, and every now and then I remembered why that was, and I started to get antsy too. "I got a lead." He chuckled and nodded, putting his hands on his hips.

"I uh... well I saw something on the cameras, what was with pulling a gun on the red head?" He asked.

"Dean she was right in front of me, just like the others described, long red hair, white dress, pale skin. I pulled the gun with the iron bullets and threatened to shoot her, but she just smiled at me, she wasn't even scared.

"Did she said anything?"

"Other than to tell me _'Betrayer' _? No," I said, shaking my head.

"'Betrayer'?" Dean questioned and I nodded.

"Yeah, what does that even mean?" I asked.

"I dunno, but I don't like the sound of it. The latest victim's wife had a run in with this woman and she said exactly the same thing before he slit his throat." Dean said, looking down and brushing a stray hair out of my eyes. "No one saw the woman other than her too."

"Why are you worried about me?" I asked, looking at him. "It's the partners of these women who end up on the chopping block, we should be worried about you!"

He stopped and stared at me and then he smirked. "Oh yeah," he said, nodding. "Well that's not so bad."

"Not so bad?!" I asked incredulously. "Dammit Dean Winchester, you drive me wild sometimes," I said angrily, stepping back and crossing my arms. "How is you being in danger any better than it being me?" I asked.

He hesitated, looking at me and then sighed. "Yeah, okay, you're right, I'm sorry," he said, reaching out and taking my arms in his hands. "I'll be careful, okay?"

I nodded and then looked up at him.

"Did you find out anything else?" I asked.

"Sam took a look at the footage. There is a mysterious blinda guy running around in a black suit with the strangest looking hair. Looks like something out of a Rapunzel book or something," Dean said, frowning.

"Long hair?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Are you about to pull one of those walking encyclopaedia facts out of your ass?" He asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Maybe," I said with a grin.

Dean chuckled. "Well, what is it?"

"It's just, something about it seems odd. She's not a banshee, that much is pretty obvious because she speaks. She talks about betrayal, or alludes to the partner knowing about something anyway... with Ellen, she'd betrayed her fiancée when they were first dating by prostituting herself out to pay off gambling debts, what about the latest victim's wife?"

"Gemma?" Dean asked and I nodded. "Well," he said with a grin. "It took a little of my master charm, but I got the story out of her. Apparently while poor Hanniger was overseas serving his country, she was home serving his best friend a little on the side. She ended it when Hanniger got back from his tour, but he found out somehow, and that's what they were arguing about right before he slit his throat."

"Wow..." I said, a little dumbstruck. I couldn't imagine ever cheating on Dean, it wasn't even in my vocabulary, and it was the one thing I'd never really understood people doing to each other – if you loved someone, you loved them, you didn't want anyone else.

"So betrayal again."

Dean nodded and then looked curiously at me. "So, how have you betrayed me?" He asked, grinning at me. He slipped his hands around my hips and looked me in the eyes. "Did you and Jefferson have a fling while I was down below? Or maybe it was with a woman... like, oh man you're not sleeping with Cole are you?" I scoffed, rolling my eyes at the ridiculousness of either of those statements. "Or or... oh... it's not the pie is it? Tell me you 're not secretly having an affair with pie?"

I laughed and hit him, shaking my head. "Don't be silly."

"You don't have secrets from me," he said confidently, looking at me. I felt a tug at my heart and I knew that on the surface that was true, but deep down there were a lot of things that I didn't tell him, mostly it was nothing he would be surprised by, but I didn't tell him because I didn't want him to feel guilty, or in some cases, think less of me.

"Well a girl has to have some secrets," I said cryptically, smiling at him.

"Oh really?" Dean asked, looking me over with a smug look. "Not likely."

I smiled and turned back to the computer on the bed.

"You were about to get all geeky and dazzle me with your walking encyclopedia-ness," Dean pointed out and I nodded as Sam came in the door, shooting us a puzzled look.

"Oh, there you are," Dean said to his brother, waving him inside. "Beth was just about to enlighten us as to who the heck these guys are."

I rolled my eyes and chuckled as Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Well it's the hair that kind of gives it away," I said, looking at Sam.

"It does?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," I said with a nod. "There's not a lot of betrayed men running around with seriously gorgeous long hair."

"Wait, who said it was gorgeous?" Dean asked, looking at me suspiciously.

"I took a guess," I grinned at him. "Was I wrong?"

Dean and Sam exchanged a look that clearly said I wasn't and I smirked as they looked back at me, shaking their heads.

"Think Biblical," I said, more to Sam than Dean. "A man who was betrayed by his lover, a beautiful, stunning woman with hair that glittered like rubies. And she did it for nothing more than money," I said.

Sam scoffed, shaking his head. "Yeah, right."

"Well why not?" I asked, looking at him, seeing that he'd made the connection.

"Because he's dead, he was killed when the temple he brought down around him crushed him to death," Sam argued and I raised my eyebrow.

"Do we know anyone who was there?" I asked, crossing my arms. "How do we know he actually died? Maybe he's a supernatural creature, well... clearly he's something!"

Dean was watching this banter back and forth with a very confused look, and finally he held up his hand, shaking his head.

"Wait... wait wait wait, who are we talking about here?" He asked, looking first at me and then Sam.

"Samson," Sam replied, looking at his brother. "Right?"

I nodded, pretty much completely convinced of the fact. "Which makes the woman..."

"Delilah!" Dean said and I gaped at him, _how did he know that?_

Dean shrugged and threw me a cheeky grin. "I saw the film," he said.

"What film?" Sam asked

"You don't wanna know," Dean said and I rolled my eyes.

"Somehow I don't think one of your pay-per-view movies counts as hard core facts," Sam said and Dean looked offended.

"Hey, well there was some definite.. hardness... in the film, that much I can tell you!"

"Dean!" I chastised and he looked at me a little sheepishly.

"Look, there are like a dozen different stories of Samson and Delilah," Sam cut in, rolling his eyes. "How are we supposed to figure out whether _any of them _are true, and well, what are they after?"

"I don't know," I said. "But there are a few similarities in the stories. Samson was promised into the Nazirite lifestyle from birth..."

"Which means...?" Dean asked.

"No cutting of the hair and no alcohol for a start," Sam said.

"So what, they're hippies?" Dean questioned and I snickered.

"More like religious zealots," I said. "Anyway, he fell in love with a Philistine woman..."

"Delilah!" Dean said confidently and I shook my head.

"No, she comes later," I answered and Dean sighed. "All sorts of things go wrong, but long story short, his new bride betrays him by imploring the answer to a riddle and tells the Philistines who are baffled by the riddle and have threatened to kill the bride and her family. Samson of course realises she has told them, goes into a rage and kills the Philistines, taking off and when he comes back for his bride, she has been given to another man."

"Weird, but okay," Dean said, shaking his head. "So she's the betrayer?"

"Well, maybe, but it wasn't the betrayal that got him killed," Sam said.

Dean ran a hand across his face and looked fed up. "Can we get to the good bit then?"

"So Samson has pissed off the Philistines at this point," Sam said, nodding at me. I smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Eventually Samson falls in love with a beautiful woman, Delilah. She is approached by the Philistines and promised gold coin, and lots of it, if she were to discover the source of Samson's incredible strength." I said. "It's his hair, it gives him the power of God, and so cuts it herself before calling on the Philistines. They come, take him and humiliate him, gouging out his eyes and tossing him in the mines to work grinding grain for the rest of his days."

"What happened to her?" Dean asked.

"Nobody knows."

"You said he was supposed to be dead?"

"Well that's one of the stories, some say his hair grew back, others say that God took pity on him on last time, but whatever the case, during a temple session where they were going to sacrifice to their god as thanks for providing them with the downfall of their enemy, Samson pushed the columns of the temple they were in over and killed all the Philistines who were present. Hundreds of them. And killed himself in the process." Sam said.

"This isn't really gonna help us much," Dean commented and I had to agree.

"Yeah, but it's the best we've got. Look at how the eyes of the vics are gouged out," I said. "Almost as if re-enacting Samson's final demise."

"We have to get some answers ... how are we supposed to stop this guy?"

"I think I'm more concerned about the fact that she said the same thing to me that she did the other two women," I said, looking at Sam.

"What? She spoke to you?" Sam asked, and I nodded. "What did she say?"

"'Betrayer', not sure why that is, but the last few secrets have been enough to send our victims over the edge." I looked at Dean worriedly. There were a lot of things that might push him over the edge at the end of the day. I didn't see how any of them were related to me.

"Right, well, we shouldn't leave Dean alone at any rate, until we get to the bottom of this," Sam said and I vehemently agreed with him.

* * *

_**Hotel Lobby**_

**Dean's POV**

The last few hours had been sheer torture, listening to Sam and Beth trying to work out what was going to get us to the bottom of this case. I needed a drink. I slipped out of the room when they weren't looking and headed down to the lobby. I wouldn't go far, and I seriously doubted I was in any danger. It wasn't as if I didn't already know Beth's deepest darkest secrets, and she'd never betray me. I was good.

I hit up the bar, smiling at the woman behind it who was doing her best to tempt me with a low cut top and ear-to-ear smile. "Whiskey thanks sweetheart, straight up," I said with a grin and she nodded, pouring me a drink. I downed it and then indicated that I wanted another, receiving a sexy smile in return along with my drink.

I shifted a little uncomfortably, the attention was kind of nice for a change, and at least I didn't have to think about how at any moment I might trigger a flashback, but it wasn't Beth. I sighed, taking another drink and looking down at my wedding ring.

"Long day?" The girl asked, seeing the sigh but apparently ignoring the rest.

"Long month," I said, nodding at my empty glass, which she was quick to fill up again.

"Maybe you just need someone to help you take the edge off?" She said with a suggestive look. "I get off in half an hour."

I shook my head, smiling at her, looking at my drink and then back up into bright blue eyes. "Sweetheart, you're about seven years too late for that," I said, taking another sip of my drink. "

She looked disappointed, leaning in to me, her lips only a few inches away.

"That's too bad, shame to see a man as fine as you sitting alone at a bar," she said, giving me an appreciative look. "If it's been a bad month, shouldn't she be here helping you out? Or am I looking at the start of a seven year itch?"

I had a mouth full of whiskey and nearly choked it back when she said that, but I kept a straight face. Seven year itch? Really? Technically I'd been in love with Beth a lot longer than that, and we'd been dancing around each other for near on twelve years, but officially this was our seventh year of no longer having to fight Dad's rules.

"Thanks," I said, "But I think I'll take my chances with the itch." She raised her eyebrow and pulled back, licking her lips.

"Your loss," she said and I chuckled, nodding once at her as she went to go serve someone else. A hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder and I turned, expecting it to be Sam.

"Okay, little bro, I'm...holy shit!" I stopped short, looking at the man in front of me. Now I'm not small by any stretch of the imagination, but this guy towered above me, heck he'd have towered above Sam and he was like Bigfoot. He'd looked smaller in the video footage, standing here in front of me I realised he was a giant. Long black hair fell in waves down his back, tied into seven braids and he finished off the look with a snappy black suit, and of course the dark sunglasses and cane.

"Dude, I am so not in the mood for this," I said to him, downing the rest of my drink.

"You need to see where she has betrayed you," He said.

"Who, Beth?" I asked, assuming we were going down that route with this whole situation.

"They use you, they tell you they love you and then they betray you. Do you see it Dean? Do you see how she betrayed you?" Samson said, reaching forward and before I had a chance to raise my hand, he touched my forehead and it felt like a searing light passed through me. "Let me free your mind from this delusion she has placed on you."

I saw flashes of Beth's darkest moments, the things she saw as betrayals. The times Dad had made her keep secrets from me, she'd known about Dad and Cole long before I'd found out, and the date with that Ewan guy – when we'd clearly been hung up on each other though not officially dating, not to mention she'd gone on that damned angel mission without telling me and it had nearly gotten her killed, but I didn't see that as betraying me, more protecting me – plus, when Dad gave us an order...

One more moment flashed before me, and I gasped realising that she really had seen me when I broke, and the sense of betrayal that she felt over that, in not being able to get me out before that happened, in me being down there in the first place when it had been her deal to start with... but I shook my head.

"Dude," I said to Samson. "I know all this; you're not exactly bringing me a newsflash." Samson pulled back frowning at me. Once again he touched my forehead and I frowned, damn he moved fast.

This time something was different and I saw my own betrayals flash before my eyes. Lisa for a start, and betraying everything I'd felt for Beth just to get her out of my system for one night; having a son with Lisa and not being able to share that with my own wife because I couldn't protect her when she was carrying our own child; out-bidding her on the deal for Sam's life and leaving her here on Earth to go on without me when I'd promised I would never leave her – leaving her here to become victim to Sam's vicious verbal attacks; and then there was Ashmedai: branded and claimed by one of the wickedest demons there was with a penchant for doing sick and depraved things sexually to you and following up with inventive ways to make you scream from pain afterwards. All this had led me to attacking her when all she ever did was try to look after me.

The last one hit me the most, because there was nothing that excused what I had done to her. I would never forgive myself and it had me so far on edge because I was so scared it might happen again. Something popped in my mind and I felt all these emotions flow from me, as if water running out of a tap.

"Whoa," I said, staggering back and looking at Samson who was now frowning at me in confusion.

"You truly believe she has never betrayed you," Samson said with a frown.

"Oh that honour is all mine, Sammy boy," I said, reaching behind me for a knife the bartender had left on the bar after slicing some lemons. I had to cut off this guy's hair, simple really. He wouldn't even see me coming. _Yeah, right._

I moved quickly, but not quick enough and with a flash of light, Samson propelled me across the room into a table. By the time I looked up he was gone. Damn the man could move for a blind guy.

* * *

_**Hotel Room**_

**Beth's POV**

I was standing at the table with Sam, looking over a couple of stories we'd printed on Samson and Delilah, debating whether we should be trying to do a summoning spell to trap one or both of them when it hit me. Like a wave of nausea, only this was vision and I saw it all flash before my eyes. Dean's heart breaking when he learned he was Ben's father, and the way he had looked at me, wishing it was with me. The loss of losing our own child and him being unable to protect me from that. My kiss at the crossroads with the demon and the panic that had clutched at his chest when he realised I'd sold my soul to bring Sam back from the dead. The dull ache and pain of marrying me, saying those vows and knowing in the back of his mind he would be dead in a few months but unable to let go. The tall slender demon who had broken him on more than one occasion, and finally claimed him with the red raw markings I'd seen branded down his shoulder, back and leg when Cas had used me as a vessel to pull him out of Hell, and the shame that went with it. Finally the terror of seeing me hurt, lying in his arms unconscious and knowing he had done that to me, and then finding me gone moments later without a trace.

I doubled over as if someone had just socked me in the gut.

"Beth?" Sam asked, looking at me and I gasped.

"Oh God!" I said, feeling all those emotions as if they'd just been transferred from Dean to me and then my own crashing down upon them. The guilt. The massive burden of knowing that if it hadn't been for me Dean would be all right. None of this would have happened to him, Hell, the demons, the torture, the nightmares – it wouldn't even exist, and it was all my fault that it did.

I fell to my knees, tears streaming down my face as I fought to take a breath.

"Beth!"

I could vaguely hear Sam's voice as he grabbed my arms, pulling me back to my feet and then sitting me on the edge of the bed.

"It's all my fault, Sam..." I murmured. "You were right...you were right. It's all my fault and I don't deserve him, I don't."

"What?" Sam asked, looking at me confused.

"He'd be okay if it weren't for me," I rambled, feeling the truth of this rush along my spine. "If I'd just left well enough alone, he'd be okay."

I threw myself back on the bed, rolling away from him and drawing a pillow in to my stomach, sobbing from the heartache of what I'd done.

Sam stood back looking down at me with a frown and then he moved away, pulling out his phone and walked out the door. See? I was right. My own brother believed that I was worthless and that I didn't deserve to be loved.

* * *

_**Hotel **_

**Sam's POV**

I watched Beth lying on the bed, almost hysterical and my heart sped up a little. She was sprouting the same stuff I'd yelled at her only a few months ago, and yet this time I saw the pain behind those accusations. I saw how much she'd been holding that. There was only one person who was going to be able to fix it.

Looking around I realised that Dean wasn't in the room. At some point he'd gotten up to go to the bathroom and never come back. I sighed at the bathroom door, more or less right next to the entry and realised he'd slipped out on us while we were talking. Grabbing my phone I threw one last look at Beth and walked out the door, dialling.

"Dean!" I said when he answered the phone. "Dean you need to get back up here."

"_Yeah, no can do Sammy. I just saw Samson and I'm going to look for him, he can't have gotten far," _Dean replied and suddenly it all made sense.

"Yeah, no, you _need _to get back here dude, now!" I said, running a hand through my hair.

"_Sam, what did I just say? I'm not gonna hole up in some freaking hotel room..."_

"It's Beth," I cut in and the line on the other end went quiet. "You need to get up here," I reiterated and then Dean's voice came back on the line, low and frightened.

"_I'll be right there."_

I hung up and went back into the room, sighing when I saw Beth was gone from the bed. _Great._

"Beth?" I called out, not receiving an answer. I'd walked right past the bathroom and now I heard the water from the shower running. I moved back to the door and knocked. "Beth?" I tried the handle, it was locked, which was worrying because Beth never locked the door, even for me.

"Beth, open the door!" I demanded and all I could hear was desperate sobs on the other side.

Without warning Dean slammed through the hotel room door, almost colliding with me as I rattled on the bathroom door again. He took one look at me and his eyes flooded with worry.

"Beth?" He called out, trying the handle and finding the same thing I had. "Beth, baby open the door!" More sobs and then suddenly Dean's eyes turned to look behind me, widening.

* * *

_**Hotel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

Clearly Beth had locked herself in the bathroom, and that had me worried. A flash of red appeared behind Sam and I looked up to see the very woman that everyone had been describing to me, the woman from the video footage.

"Betrayer," she whispered to me and I lunged, not even thinking. All I knew is that we had to get her, she would have answers. Sam didn't see her, and I realised there must be some sort of enchantment around her, one that didn't allow anyone other than those who had been touched – whether directly or indirectly – by Samson.

"Get that door open now!" I yelled to Sam as I tackled the woman to the ground. I don't think she was expecting it, because she let out a surprised gasp as I rolled us, getting her face down in the carpet and pinning her arms behind her. I pulled her to a standing position, holding firmly to her wrists as I heard the bathroom door crack and open, looking back to see Sam slam his shoulder into the wood, breaking it down.

Opening the weapons bag I pulled out silver and iron chains, I wasn't taking any chances. Flinging the woman into a chair I encircled her with the chains, tying her to the arms. She glared at me but my focus was on the bathroom.

"Dean!" Sam called out to me and I ran in to find him with his arms around Beth, she was in the shower, fully dressed, long bloody cuts slashed into her wrists as water cascaded down on her.

"No…" I shook my head, and Sam stood with her in his arms, carrying her past me to the bed.

"Get the first aid kit," he said and I froze.

"Dean! Now!" Sam yelled and it forced me to action.

I pulled the kit out of another bag and brought it over to him.

"They're not that bad," Sam said, applying gauze and then a bandage to each wrist. "But she's lost a lot of blood, we need to get her to the hospital."

I hesitated, looking at Beth unconscious on the bed, and then my eyes wandering to the women tied to the chair. Sam looked up and saw her, his eyes widening.

"Is that?"

"Yeah. You can see her?"

"I can now," he replied with a nod. Interesting. Maybe those chains did do something then.

"I need answers, take her to the hospital…" I said and Sam hesitated.

"Dean…"

"Go!" I ordered him, he wasn't going to like what I was going to do to this woman if she didn't come up with information.

Sam nodded and left, and I turned to look at the red head before me.

* * *

_**Hospital**_

**Sam's POV**

The ER was busy, but when I showed them the cuts in her wrists and how pale Beth was looking, flashing my FBI badge as well, they found us a cubicle and hooked her up to some fluids and patched up her wrists. I watched anxiously as a nurse spoke to Beth who had regained consciousness, and was crying softly into a pillow.

A doctor came and pulled me away, telling me that she was going to be all right, the cuts weren't that deep, as I'd suspected, and she likely wouldn't even need blood, just a top-up of fluids via the IV they'd hooked up in her elbow.

There was a clatter of dishes falling and I turned in time to see Beth pull the IV out of her arm and grab her jacket, running for the stair exit. I chased after her, and I hit the door hard as people gasped around me. Beth stopped on the landing, turning wide eyes to me that were starting to glow golden.

"Beth, you need to calm down," I said to her, reaching out a placating hand.

She pulled a gun out and held it under her chin, shaking her head.

"Beth, Beth you're under some kind of a spell, you need to give me the gun," I said, taking a few steps down toward her. She backed away, shaking her head.

"I don't deserve to live," she whispered. "You're right Sam. I'm poison, I betrayed Dean in the worst possible way."

"No, Beth, you didn't. Dean loves you, he would never see it like that. He doesn't blame you for anything," I said. I knew in my heart that he didn't, he blamed himself, always taking the blame whether it was warranted or not – that's what he did.

"He's broken Sam, and it's because of me."

"And you think killing yourself is the answer?" I put to her. "How is he going to get any better without you?"

"But all I do is cause him more pain! He'd be better off without me!" She said. "When I'm around him all he sees is the torture he went through in Hell, when I touch him, all he feels is what they put him through. He reacts, and he hurts me, and then he blames himself, but it's my fault."

"Beth, come on. You know that's not true."

"He deserves to be happy, after everything he's been through. He won't get that with me," she said and I shook my head, watching as that yellow glow started to get brighter in her eyes. I started to wonder when the gouging of the eyes occurred and realised it must be upon death, so I was now using the light as a gauge as to where she was emotionally.

"Are you kidding me?!" I asked. "Beth, you're the only one who makes him happy."

"Lisa could," she whispered, tears in her eyes. "He could be happy with her, and Ben."

"No Beth, he couldn't. She's not you," I said. She wavered, the gun starting to shake from the exertion of holding it under her chin.

"She's not you Beth," I reiterated. "You're the one he wants. You're the only one he's ever wanted."

Tears streamed down her face again and she shook her head.

"That doesn't make me good for him."

"Would you listen to yourself?" I said, taking a couple more steps, this time she didn't move away. "Beth, Dean is up in that hotel room now, fighting for you. He's not doing it for anyone else."

She trembled, biting her lip and I saw the light start to fade a little. I was getting through to her.

I realised with a start just how much she'd been putting herself through. The pain that my words had caused her, and I felt a jolt of guilt. All this time she'd been feeling just as guilty, if not more so, than what I'd accused her of. No wonder she'd run away, other than the fact that I'd sent her away, no wonder she had reacted so violently to what I'd said – she was already feeling it, she had already been blaming herself, and then I'd just confirmed it all for her.

"Beth I was wrong," I said to her, and she stopped, looking at me. "It's not your fault. You were just doing what you thought you had to do, to protect me, to protect Dean."

She let out a heart wrenching sob and I moved, grabbing the gun and taking it from her, tucking it into my jeans and pulling her into my arms.

"I'm sorry Beth," I said, holding her as she wrapped her arms around me and cried.

* * *

_**Hotel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

"Thanks Sammy," I said, hanging up and looking over at the woman again. Beth was okay for now, but Sam wasn't sure how long that would be. They'd had to sedate her to keep her calm, and she was now under 24-hour surveillance by none other than Sam himself, but she was alive, and I planned on keeping her that way.

"All right," I said, moving to stand in front of the woman. "I want some answers… Delilah."

Her eyes widened when I said her name and she looked curiously at me.

"You know who I am?" She asked, and I nodded, thankful she wasn't speaking some weird archaic language. I might have been able to handle a little Latin, but anything else was the domain of Beth or Sam.

"Now what have you done to my wife?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said to me.

"Don't lie to me! She wasn't suicidal until she came across you, now whatever you did to her, you undo it, or you're gonna wish you had." I said.

"I swear, I didn't do anything to anyone," she said.

"Then why are you here? What's with the 'betrayer'?"

She fell silent and I sighed, walking over to tower over her, leaning on the arms of the chair.

"You're going to tell me, one way or another," I said, and she started to look genuinely scared.

"I swear, I don't do anything. The only people who can ever see me are people who have betrayed their loved ones in some of the worst ways possible. I get visions, I see the betrayal they commit, and it kills me every time. I don't know why I need to say it to them, but I do, I'm compelled, almost as if under a spell. I turn up in places, I don't even know why."

I frowned. What did she mean, she didn't know why? Wasn't she working in cahoots with Samson to kill people?

"What is Samson's role in this?" I asked

She looked sadly at me, her eyes filled with tears. "Samson? Samson died a long time ago, and I was the reason, I was the woman who betrayed him. Now all I see are other women who betray their lovers, and it reminds me of the pain I put him through. I am cursed, doomed to walk this world without the one who made me complete, all because I made a promise to avenge my family."

I fell silent; she seemed to honestly believe what she was saying.

"Have you seen the effects these people you speak to encounter?" I asked, talking about the suicidal death wish, and she nodded.

"How can I stop them?"

"Only the truth can set you free, young warrior," she said, looking at me. _The truth? What the hell was she talking about?_

* * *

_**Hospital**_

**Beth's POV**

Sam was talking on the phone and I heard him telling Dean that I was all right. I smirked, yeah right; nothing was right about this whole situation. I looked forlornly at the bandages on my wrists and thought about how I couldn't even get that right. Nothing I did was right, all I did was hurt the people I love.

First John had sold his soul to bring Dean back from the dead, but it had been the Colt he'd initially offered, and the Yellow-Eyed Demon would have taken it, I know he would have, he'd wanted it to open the Devil's Gateway. But stupid me, I'd followed John down there and gotten caught, and then John sold his soul to stop anything happening to me.

Then there was Sam, and all I wanted to do was fulfil the promise I'd made to John, to protect Sam and keep him safe. Well I'd done that, and I'd sold my soul to do it. I hadn't banked on Dean coming in and trumping the deal. It had all gone downhill from there – I'd failed to save him from going to Hell, I'd failed to get him out before he was tortured to the point of breaking, and I'd failed to help him through it now he was free.

I sighed, looking out the window, my heart aching. Dean deserved better than me, he deserved to be happy, I couldn't give him that. Everything I did made things worse. If I was gone, maybe he could move on, maybe he could get out of hunting, be with Lisa and Ben, and start a real life.

Sam was refusing to leave me alone. He sat in the chair or paced the room and I steadfastly ignored him. He'd been right all along, and I think that pain hurt more than anything.

The door to the room creaked open and I saw Sam breathe a sigh of relief, walking quickly to greet our brother as he stepped into the room, looking at me with loving concern.

"Did you find out anything?" Sam asked and he nodded, still looking at me.

"Yeah, can you uh, can you go get us a couple of coffees, I need to talk to Beth," he said and Sam nodded, taking the hint. He left and Dean stepped up to the bed, taking my face in his hands and staring down at me.

"What were you thinking?" He asked, his voice low and scared.

"I can't do this anymore Dean," I whispered.

"Do what?" He asked. "Hunt?"

I shook my head and shrugged. "Everything, it hurts too much."

"Baby, it's just a hallucination, or something. It's not real," he said, sitting on the bed and caressing my face.

"I saw it Dean, I saw what you felt, how you feel like you hurt me."

"Betrayed you," he said and I frowned.

"No, no if anything I betrayed you, I should never have let you make that deal, I should have stopped it."

"I'm a big boy Beth, I can make my own decisions."

I sobbed again, covering my face with my hands.

"Look, I don't know what's going on here, not really, but there are a few things you do need to understand. You didn't betray me, you didn't fail me, you didn't do anything except love me, and I know that Beth," he said, lifting my watery eyes to look into his.

"But, Dad… he told me…"

He watched me, and I saw the conflict settling behind his eyes, he leaned in and kissed me softly before pulling back.

"I lied to you," he said and I frowned.

"What?"

"I lied to you, when I said I wouldn't have done the deal of my own accord," he clarified and I felt my mouth drop open. He reached out, brushing a hand along my cheek and I leaned in to the touch. It had been so long since we'd just touched like this.

"It's Sam, Beth, and no one knows the struggle you have with Dad's orders more than me. I love you, _I love you, _but just like you I would have eventually laid it all on the line over that ridiculous promise we made him. And I would have been wrong to do that, _we were wrong _to have done that. Maybe we should have just let him go, but …"

"But it's Sam," I said softly and he nodded, tears in his eyes.

"You trumped my deal to keep me safe too," I said and again he nodded.

"I would do anything for you Beth, and I'd do it all again, even knowing what I know now."

My heart was racing and I could feel the blood pumping under my skin. We were so broken.

"I don't help you Dean," I said and he looked at me with a frown. "All I do is make things worse."

"Don't say that," he said softly, leaning his forehead to mine. "That's not true and you know it, it's just your fears. If anything this whole thing has shown me just how messed up we are, and how Dad really had no right to put that on us – we were teenagers! Hell I was a kid when it started."

I felt the tears starting to build again and blinked a few times, trying to keep them at bay.

"What I'm trying to say… I messed up Beth," he said, looking at me.

"I should have taken that burden from you. I should never have let you feel as if the only option we had was to be here, looking after Sam. Those three years when he was in college, they were some of the best years of my life because it was just us. And it's just all gone downhill since Sam came back, but he's our brother and we are always going to look after him…" I nodded at this statement, of course we were: a tiger didn't change his stripes.

"But?" I asked, because I could hear it there in his voice.

"But you should be my priority. _We _should be each other's priority because it just works when we're together. When we're apart we fall apart, and nothing seems right." I swallowed hard, barely believing what he was saying. Dean had said some of this before, about getting out, having a real life, but it was often around keeping Sam safe – even when he'd said we should get out when I was pregnant, we'd still been talking about how it would keep Sam away from danger.

I remembered what he said to me, when we'd gone back in time, when he realised Mary hadn't wanted him raised a hunter, and he'd promised me we'd get out, raise a family. He'd meant it, and Sam hadn't even been mentioned. Things had changed for him since Hell, and I hadn't even seen it.

"I just want you Beth," he said. "I spent forty years away from you; I couldn't bear it if you left me now. I'm sorry I hurt you, I'm sorry I'm a mess, but please, just give me some time. Don't give up on me."

I moved, tucking my legs under me and coming to kneel in front of him on the bed.

"I would never give up on you Dean," I said, resting my hands on his shoulders.

"You've been so distant," he said softly.

"I know, I know and I'm sorry. I was just … do you really not blame me? Because I'm the reason you went through all that… you wouldn't have been down there, none of these flashbacks, none of it would be happening if it weren't for me." Slowly I started to see it in his eyes. He truly didn't think it was my fault, if anything, he thought I should run from him, and was begging me not to.

A ripple of love washed across me and I realised how stupid we'd been. All this time we'd been blaming ourselves; when at the end of the day it was just life, and we were just doing the best we could at the time.

I pulled his face in to mine and licked along his lower lip slowly, tasting and teasing. When he let out a little sigh I leaned further into the embrace, my lips catching his as I softly sucked along his beautiful little pout and then slid his tongue in the gap between my lips, flicking across the tip of my tongue and then deepening the kiss. I was glad I was kneeling because if I'd been standing I would have fallen over, weak at the knees.

"Do you feel better?" Dean asked as I pulled away. I sat for a moment, feeling lighter and happier than I had in a long time, and with a smile I nodded.

"Yeah."

"Thank God," he said with a smile. "Because I really didn't want to have to cuff you to me."

I chuckled and then stuck my bottom lip out in a pout which I knew he loved. "Awwww," I said, smiling at him. "You saying you don't want me with you?"

Dean sucked in a breath and went to defend what he'd just said, thinking I was upset when I giggled. He stopped and shook his head at me, rolling his eyes.

"Didn't I just make myself clear what I wanted?" He asked and I nodded demurely, tilting my head to the side and flashing him an innocent smile.

"God I love that smile," he said and it made me smile even harder.

"And I love you," I said, leaning and kissing him again.

For the first time in a long time I felt like it actually might be okay, like just once we could get on top of things.

"Can I get out of here now?" I asked and Dean hesitated, looking at my wrists and the IV that was attached to my arm. "Please Dean?"

He sighed and nodded, saying he'd check with the doctors. I was excited to be leaving with him, thinking about how we should go away and spend a few days together, just the two of us, nothing to do but just love each other. That's when reality crashed down a little. We were on a case, one that hadn't just miraculously been solved over a heart to heart conversation.

I sighed and sat on the bed, looking at my hands. _Well, that was okay_, I told myself, _there was plenty of time for that. _

Dean came back with a doctor who looked me over and then sat with me for another half hour, talking about how he couldn't stop me if I wanted to discharge myself, but I should not be left alone at this crucial period of time, this time looking at Dean who nodded.

An hour later we were on our way out the door and to the Impala, my arm wrapped tightly around Dean's waist as we walked.

* * *

_**Hotel Room**_

**Sam's POV**

We'd gotten back from the hospital, and to be honest I'd been surprised that the doctors had let Beth go, but she was completely different. Whatever Dean had said to her had helped and she was like a totally different woman.

Dean had left Delilah tied up to the chair and she looked up as we came in, smiling when she saw Beth.

"You're all right," she said, seeming relieved which I found strange, hadn't she been trying to kill Beth?

"No thanks to you," I commented and she turned wary eyes toward me.

"I did nothing to your sister," she said carefully. "I only revealed the pain that she was not wanting to look at."

"The pain you live with," Beth said, sitting next to her and looking inquisitively at the woman. She nodded.

"What happened?" Beth asked, and I watched as Dean stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. She smiled up at him and I felt relief wash through me, they hadn't touched or looked at each other like that in weeks, walking around on tenterhooks, scared to say boo. Finally, maybe we could start getting things back to normal.

"With Samson?" Delilah asked. Beth nodded.

She smiled, and gestured with her hands. "Is this really necessary?" She asked.

"Yes," I said and Beth threw me a glare.

Looking up at Dean I started to think I should take it back, the one thing about them being at odds with each other, at least they hadn't been ganging up on me. Now it seemed I was back to being outvoted. Yet Dean surprised me.

"Story first, sister. Then we'll see," he said and Beth sighed apologetically at Delilah who smiled back.

"All right. You know the story of Samson from the various sources?" She asked and Beth nodded. "A lot of it is true, his first bride, the slaughter of the Philistines, his Godly power that no man could rival. Of course they got my side… somewhat correct, but made me out to be a whore, which I wasn't."

I scoffed, like anyone actually admitted to being a whore.

"Go on," Beth urged.

"I was a simple girl, with a family, and my brother was one of the men Samson murdered during his rage at the wedding. My father was beside himself, and when Samson noticed me in the market square one day, following me and asking me to join him for a meal, my father acted on it. He made me do it, even though I didn't want to, he made me promise that I would do everything I could do seduce Samson and discover the secret of his power, so that our family could have its revenge."

Beth swallowed, tears in her eyes and looked at her. "You understand?" Delilah asked and both Dean and Beth nodded. "Even you understand, young Sam," she said, and I had to admit that I did.

"Little did I count on actually falling in love with him," she said, looking down sadly, tears brimming in her eyes. "I tried to get out of it, but my father, he was set upon it. He told me I must or he would reveal my betrayal to Samson regardless and I would lose him either way for he would know it was his wife who had shared his secret, and only one way would betray my family. I had made a promise, and one night I convinced Samson to tell me the secret to his strength."

"His hair," Beth said, and she nodded.

"He'd never cut it, his parents had made a covenant with God to give him strength and protect him so long as he never cut his hair." I nodded, we knew this much about the story.

"And you told your father?" Dean asked, looking at her.

"Yes, he and my brothers came, and they made me cut his hair while he was sleeping, and once he was powerless they bound him, and they… they gouged out his eyes and humiliated him before our people before tossing him in the grain mill to work. I wasn't allowed to see him, and the last thing I remember before they took his eyes was the look of utter betrayal he gave to me, and his… his wail of anguish."

She started to cry and Beth looked saddened by this.

"I ran away, I couldn't live with what I had done, and I wandered into the desert to die. But God wouldn't let me. For millennia I have tried to die, countless times, but he will not take me, he has cursed me to live forever without the one man who ever made me happy." Delilah said.

"But you're with him," I pointed out and she looked up confused.

"Yeah, uh, about that," Dean said, scratching his ear and giving me a warning look.

"Ixnay on the Amsonsay," he said under his breath and I stopped. She didn't know.

"She doesn't know," I said and Dean rolled his eyes at me, tossing his hands in the air.

"Know what?" Delilah asked, her eyes bright and shining with tears.

"Delilah… Samson didn't die, in the temple," Beth said softly. "I don't know how, or why, but you two are unable to see each other, yet you circle each other like the moon and sun circle the earth, forever just out of reach."

"They are bound by their marriage vows," I said. "They didn't use to add the 'until death do us part,' back in those days." I looked at Dean and Beth, they hadn't either, now I thought about it, their souls would be forever bonded, just like Samson and Delilah.

"So where his soul goes, hers will follow, or vice versa, depending on who is the dominant in the relationship, which I'm guessing is him." I said.

"He's here, now, running around and telling various men all about how their women have betrayed them, and when they hear his truth, it is so powerful and so shocking, they just want to kill ourselves," Dean said. Delilah shook her head in disbelief, her long red locks cascading over her shoulders.

"And their eyes, they are burned out as they die from seeing the truth of the situation," Beth said softly.

"And you play a part too," I said. "You are drawn to the women, for whatever reason."

"My love is alive?" Delilah asked, looking at us with hope in her eyes.

"Yes," Beth said, nodding. "And he is hurting people, we need to stop him."

"I can stop him, if you take me to him," she said.

"I can't see why that would work," I said sceptically.

Dean and Beth looked at me and I shrugged.

"Guys, he's running around trying to save other men from enduring his fate, doesn't really sound like he's over it himself, why would he listen to her?" I asked.

"He has a point," Dean said.

"No…" Beth said softly, looking up. "I think she's right, I think she can help."

"How?" I asked, throwing my hands up in the air. This was ridiculous.

"The truth will set you free, right?" Beth asked and I frowned, Dean had said Delilah told him that when he asked how get Beth out of the delirium she was in, and I had to admit, it had worked.

"Look, guys, we can't afford to have them disappear again…" I said.

"I won't," Delilah said. "I just need to talk to him."

Dean looked sceptical, and then Beth stood up, running a hand down his arm.

"We have to try," she said.

I shook my head, this was a mistake, but Dean was going to cave, any minute now.

* * *

_**Hotel Lobby**_

**Dean's POV**

This was kind of crazy, but I didn't have any better ideas, so now it just came down to hoping that there was still one or two men left in Shreveport who had major betrayals going on in their lives by their women.

We were standing around in the lobby, waiting to see if Delilah suddenly felt pulled toward any woman in particular, or if any of them noticed her, because most people couldn't even see her. We'd been here an hour when I started to think this was a dead end. Suddenly Delilah gasped and pointed at a dark haired woman wearing a head scarf and sunglasses. "Her!" She said, and she started to wail, seemingly unable to stop herself. "The betrayer!"

Sam and I instantly went into overdrive, walking over to the woman and flashing our FBI badges. When her husband appeared from parking the car, we explained that they were in danger, and we needed to escort them up to our room, where they would have FBI protection. The man, Arabian in appearance started to argue until Sam gave him _the glare_, and he fell silent, following behind us as his wife spoke to him in another language.

Forty-five minutes later I was starting to get antsy again, pacing the room.

"This isn't gonna work," I said to Sam. "He didn't come up to me until I was alone in the lobby." Sam sighed and nodded, indicating that he agreed with me.

"I want to make a phone call!" The man said. "My luggage, it is still downstairs with the valet." We nodded and told Beth to stay with the wife.

"Uh, I don't think so! I'm coming with you," she said and Dean sighed.

"Well you might not get to catch him, Delilah needs to be there," Beth added and I kind of saw her point. We would all need to go together.

So here we were again, all of us in the lobby, watching and waiting as the man made a call to someone, talking urgently on the phone.

Without warning or cause, Samson appeared behind him, a few feet away and Delilah gasped at the sight of him.

"Samson…" she said, stepping forward and reaching for him.

He froze, hearing her voice and then looked around, even though it was clear he was blind.

"My love?" He said quietly and with that, she took a few more steps toward him, reaching a palm out to his cheek. "Is that truly you?"

"It is," she said, resting her hand against him.

He paused, hand extended in the air and a number of emotions ran across his face. He hesitated, and then turned toward her, I stood on alert, ready to tackle him and cut his hair.

"You're alive?"

"I have been alive for centuries, living with the pain I caused you," Delilah replied and he looked pained and nodded.

"Samson… can you ever forgive me?" She asked, and I raised an eyebrow. _Well, that was short and to the point._

He said nothing for the longest time and we all held our breath, and then suddenly he removed his glasses, and instead of empty sockets there were eyes full of tears. He looked at her and touched her face.

"The first face I have seen in many lifetimes, and the Lord has seen fit to make it yours," he said, leaning in to her. "I forgave you a long time ago, my love."

"Wait, wait, wait… hold on a minute," I said, stepping forward with my hand stretched out. "You…" I said, pointing to Samson. "You're not angry at her?"

He shook his head at me and then smiled. "I was, for a long time, but then I saw my arrogance, the pain I had caused all those families, and I realised that she had every right to betray me and take her revenge."

"It was never my idea," Delilah said and he smiled down at me.

"I know."

"So uh, why are you doing this, to these men?" Sam asked, pointing to the Arabian man who was now backing away with his wife and Beth was letting them go.

"I simply wish for them to see the truth, it is up to them what they wish to do with it," Samson said, looking at me. "I have never seen one so effortlessly accept the blame as you however."

I shrugged. "Like I said, we're messed up, it's a family thing," I said and Beth chuckled beside me, slipping her arm around my waist.

"It is time to go, love," Samson said to Delilah and she nodded.

"Wait, go where?" I asked, frowning. "You can't keep doing this to these people, if they are being betrayed, well, then it's up to them to find out in their own way."

Samson gestured for the knife I had tucked in my jeans.

"Your knife," he said, and for some reason I just handed it to him without question.

"Would you do the honour?" Samson said to Delilah, handing it to her. At the same time he rolled up his sleeve of his right arm and I sucked in a breath. On his arm were inscriptions, symbols burned into his skin just like they had been on mine, only the ones I'd received in Hell were very different, these almost looked like they were gilded in gold whereas mine had been carved in blood. I shifted uncomfortably, feeling the itch in my skin where they'd once been.

Delilah walked behind him, and with the knife cut all seven braids from his head, one by one. As each braid was cut, a symbol faded from his skin, until there was nothing left.

"I have neither the power to harm others now, nor the inclination," Samson said, handing me the knife and the braids. "I simply wish to live out my days with the love of my life," he said, looking at Delilah, who smiled tearfully and put her arm around him.

I felt my heart tug and looked at Beth, he wasn't the only one who felt that way. Luckily for them, their mission was done, and while every bone in my body was telling me to kill them because they were monsters, Beth's hand on my arm stayed me, and I let them go, nodding at Sam to do the same.

Together these two giants of mythology walked arm in arm out of the hotel, fading from sight as they crossed the road into the park. I breathed a sigh of relief that it was over and Sam looked at me.

"Do you think that was wise?" He asked.

"I don't know, Sammy, but I do think it was right," I said quietly.

* * *

_**Hotel Room  
A few hours later**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean was in the shower when I came back into the room, I flipped on the bedside light and it still did very little to illuminate the room. It was too dark, I felt like a weight had been lifted a little from my heart, and I wanted to enjoy the sunshine. Moving to the windows I pulled the curtains back, flooding the room with light and smiling. That was much better.

I moved over to the bathroom door, hesitating at the door and then letting myself in, expecting the usual quirky smile from Dean whenever I interrupted one of his showers, it inevitably led to an invitation to join him which I was always quick to take him up on.

This time however it was different. He didn't even look up when I walked in and I could see him furiously scrubbing away at his right shoulder and down his arm. I frowned and took a few steps toward him, not wanting to startle him – he hadn't even acknowledged my presence, which likely meant he hadn't heard me.

I watched as he took a backscrubber and started to scratch at his arm with it, grunting and then I heard a gut-wrenching noise that was somewhere between a whimper and a sob.

"Dean?" I said softly and he looked up at me, eyes frantically looking around and then he closed them for a second before opening them again to look at me.

"I can't get them out," he said, and I looked at him, starting to worry.

"Get what out?" I asked, moving to the glass door and looking in at him. He opened the door and showed me his right arm, red from the furious brushing he had been giving it.

"Ashmedai, she... can't you see them?" He asked, and I shook my head, running my hand along his arm which was not only slick from the water, but I suspected a bit of blood too as it was so red and raw.

"No, Dean, I can't. There's nothing here," I said softly and he sucked in a sharp breath, eyes looking pained as he leaned back against the tiles.

"She's branded me, she said I'd never be able to escape her," he said and I stopped, thinking back to the dream I'd had, the experience of finding him atop a mound of tortured souls, markings etched into his skin, bloody and raw. No, not a dream, it had been when Cas had walked the very bowels of Hell to pull him out with the help of my body.

"They're no longer there, Dean," I said, reaching out a hand to brush it along his face. He leaned in to the touch.

"Yes they are. I can feel them."

I hesitated, not sure how I could help with this one. Then I took a step into the large shower with him, letting the water course along the t-shirt and jeans I had on. It was the only way I could think to keep this non-sexual, to move it to somewhere else. Dean looked at me confused, and I brushed my hand along his face again, leaning in to kiss him softly.

"Let me help," I said, and I saw that dressed or not, over a month of no intimacy had him already standing at half-mast. I pulled a towel from the rack and wrapped it around his waist and he looked rejected.

"Later," I said, kissing him again. "Tell me where you feel them," I urged him and he closed his eyes, letting out a long shaky breath. With a wavering hand he touched along his right arm, starting at the shoulder blade and then down the arm itself.

"She has no claim over you Dean," I said, lifting his face to look him in the eyes. "She never did, because you're mine." I held his face in my hands and then slid my right hand down his left arm, stopping as it came to rest over the hand print that was scarred into his flesh. My handprint.

"This is my mark," I said, looking at him again. "No one else's." I lifted his left hand and kissed the palm, loving the feel of his ring against my cheek as I brushed his hand along my face. "And this is our promise to each other, you remember?"

Dean nodded, watching me, his eyes wary and tired. He was restraining himself so hard from sinking into the painful memories of Hell. I moved my lips to kiss where I remembered one of the markings had been on his body, and I laid my lips against his hot skin.

"What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder," I said to him. "She can't claim you, you're mine, and I am yours, and no one can take that away from us," I said quietly. I kissed along his shoulder and down his arms, taking my time to love the arm he had so desperately been raking at.

Another shuddering sigh and Dean sank against the wall of the shower, turning his face up to the water and letting it wash down on him.

I took a cloth and squeezed shower gel on to it getting it all soapy and then I started to brush it along his chest and down over his arms. Dean looked up in surprise; we'd never really taken the time before to do this in the shower, our activities leaning more to the carnal side by habit. Soft was needed now.

With a smile, I turned him so that I could wash his back, trailing soapy hands down to the sopping towel at his waist. I left it on, kneeling in front of him and instead using the cloth to trail soap up his legs until again I hit the towel. I could see his erection very prominently fighting against the towel and I smiled, that was at least promising.

Standing again, I stripped my t-shirt and bra off, followed by my jeans and kicked them to the side, leaning into Dean's back and running my hands around his hips and up his chest until I was holding him, my breasts pressed to his back as the water washed down over us.

"I love you," I said softly, kissing the side of his neck, just under his ear. He sighed softly, a happy sigh, and leaned back into me, turning his face to mine so he could claim my lips in a lingering, tender kiss.

I broke away from the kiss, quickly pressing my lips to his perfectly toned skin pressed into my front. The hot water continued to pour down upon us, and I struggled to keep everything chaste, but I had to. There'd be time for that later.

At every interval on his back where the markings had been I stopped, kissing it and tracing hearts in their place. Dean leaned his forehead against the hot tiles of the bath and let out a long wavering breath as I worked my way down. I pulled the towel down as I got to his hips, letting it slip to the bottom of the shower.

I knew they'd trailed further, down over his right buttock and his leg and I was going to do this right. I kissed along his perfectly rounded bottom and he looked down at me, hesitation in his eyes. I'd seen some of the horrible things that had been done to him in this position and clearly he was recalling them too.

"Do you trust me?"

He nodded, watching me.

"Because it's me, and I would never hurt you," I said.

Again he nodded, bracing his hands against the tiles.

"I saw them," I said quietly, tracing my hand down over his leg and he trembled slightly, his leg twitching under my touch. "But they're not here, not anymore." I kissed down his thigh, again tracing small hearts after each kiss, putting all my love into his body as I focused on him.

When I reached the last, half way down his calf muscle I finished with another kiss and then climbed to my feet again, sliding my arms around his chest and leaning in against him.

"Do you still feel them?" I asked, breathing a sigh of relief as he shook his head, indicating no.

"Thank you," he said softly and I smiled, squeezing him tightly to me and kissing the back of his neck.

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you Dean, I went into Hell itself for you," I said. He turned in my arms, his lips claiming mine in a deep and sensual kiss, our tongues cycling back and forth between his mouth and mine. I moaned softly, unable to contain how much I had missed being this close to him.

"I've missed you," he said quietly as we broke away and I nodded, feeling the guilt come flooding back that I had done this to him. I pushed it aside this time, not taking it on and reminding myself that we were in this together, and none was to blame any more than the other. Now we needed to move past it, to deal with things as best we could, without judgement or blaming ourselves for the situation.

He turned and smiled at me, taking the cloth from my hand and starting to trail it down through the valley of my breasts, over my stomach and down my left hip.

"My turn," he said softly and I giggled, drawing another smile out of him.

Taking his time he washed my entire body and then knelt down to pull at my panties which were clinging to my body. As they fell to the bottom of the shower he stood up and shucked the towel aside as well, his erection pressing into my stomach as he caught my face in his hands and kissed me with soft, loving lips.

I grinned and stepped out of the shower, pulling him with me, taking a dry towel and starting to rub it along his body, drying it. He tried to help but I tutted at him, standing up and staring into his eyes. "Would you just let me do this please?" I asked with a patient smile. "I'm making a point here."

"Oh?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "That much is obvious," he said, gesturing to his very pointed arousal. I laughed and took the towel, tying it around his waist again before taking another dry towel and using it to dry his hair and face.

"Not the point I was talking about," I said with a kiss.

I handed him a fresh towel, the last one, from the rack and looked at him expectantly. "I trust you," I said, and he hesitated. I knew he was much more relaxed than he'd been when I'd first come in, and perhaps that was part of it, getting him in a space where he wouldn't see the tortures he'd gone through in Hell. In fact, maybe it had worked on both of us because I wasn't even feeling slightly cagey like I had for the last fortnight.

With gentle hands I tried not to moan out loud as he started to towel me off, the incorrigible side of Dean unable to resist spending a little extra time on my inner thighs as he sought to get me completely dry from the shower. When he was done, I pulled him out of the bathroom and into the spacious bedroom, over to the bed.

Lying down facing each other, I was reminded that we'd started this way several weeks ago, but we hadn't gone anywhere, the guilt on Dean's part too much to feel frisky, and I was too busy blaming myself that he'd been feeling this way in the first place because of me, and scared that I might trigger something in him, or he might in me.

I thought about Samson and Delilah, and the love they still had for each other after all these millennia. It was beyond reckoning, but I knew as I stared at him that I would feel the same way myself if we ever lived that long. I kissed along his shoulder, my hand sliding in along his hip and across his lower back as he moaned softly, kissing my jaw and then starting to suck on my earlobe which had me giggling, it was so ticklish.

As we kissed, I slowly started to grind my body against his, my thigh slipping in between his legs snuggly and completely melding into his, I trailed my hand up and then down his shoulder again, resting it against the handprint on his left bicep once more, and he stopped what he was doing to look at the perfect match.

"I'm yours," he said and I nodded, looking up into his eyes.

"And I'm yours," I replied. "For better or worse Dean, especially the worse... because I don't want to do this without you."

He smiled and nodded, leaning his forehead in against mine. "It's not going to be all sunshine and rainbows," he said.

"I know."

"And I don't know that I'll ever get over some of the things that..." his voice trailed off and I caught a pained look in his eyes.

"I know," I said, looking at him.

"It's not your fault," he said finally. "You were just doing what Dad told you to do. You were just looking after Sammy."

"I know."

He chuckled at my simple responses, rolling his eyes slightly.

"I'm going to get through this, for you," he promised.

"I know," I said with a grin and he growled, rolling me on to my back and pinning me to the bed.

"And I love you, more than anything," he said finally and a smile broke across my face.

"If you say 'I know' one more time I'm going to tickle you so hard," he threatened and I giggled, looking at him and raising my eyebrow.

"Say it again," I said softly, chewing on my lip.

"I love you," he said without hesitation and I grinned.

"I know," I said cheekily and he gave me an incredulous look as if to say he couldn't believe I'd just played that card. I shrieked as he started to tickle my ribs and then broke into laughter.

His hands went to exactly where he knew I was most vulnerable and I couldn't stop, laugher spilling from my mouth as I playfully fought against him. I both hated and loved being tickled at the same time, and only ever would I let Dean do it to me.

"Stop!" I begged, fighting for breath as I tried to laugh and remain conscious at the same time. I grasped at him desperately, trying to push him off and he stilled on top of me, eyes turning serious as he brushed a hand along my forehead, pushing some hair out of my face.

"It's been over a month," he said and I nodded, feeling the absence of him not just physically, but emotionally, sit heavy in my heart.

"Yeah..." I said, not daring to say 'I know' again, even though I was more than aware.

"We'll take it slow," he said and I nodded, kissing him softly.

"Slow is good," I replied, wrapping my arms around his neck. "Slow is great, so long as we're together."

He nodded, those intense green eyes staring down at me, and for once I didn't see any demons lurking behind. It was just him, and me, and this moment, and everything was going to be all right; and if it wasn't, we'd figure that out too, just like we always did: together.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

* * *

Song for this chapter is _Broken Arrows _by Daughtry.

Their entire album _Baptized _is freaking awesome! I highly recommend checking it out! (Thanks to EarthhAngel for recommending it to me!)

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this little original piece, there's a few to come this season, would you all like to see a flashback to early relationship Dean & Beth soon? Or maybe pre-relationship? I've got two in mind right now. Either finishing off the story of what happened in _San Antonio _all those years ago before they were together. Or the case that John was organising the night of their _first date _from last chapter – extreme early relationship for them, and one of the first hunts (other than Dead in the Water) they go on. Let me know if you have a preference!

* * *

Thank you to EarthhAngel for beta reading and her encouragement along the way, talking shop is always so so fun!

* * *

As always, a deep gratitude for reading and sharing your thoughts with me, it always makes my day. _Wishful Thinking _is up next.

I hope you enjoyed this, and please leave me a review, even if a short one it does help me to feel like you're getting something that you're enjoying. We writers can be needy, especially around free sites, and literally the only "reward" we get is the feedback from the fans, so believe me when I say, I'll keep writing regardless, because this story is for me, but I'm more inspired to update faster when I'm feeling the love :)


	14. Wishful Thinking

_I threw a wish in the well,_  
_Don't ask me, I'll never tell_  
_I looked to you as it fell,_  
_And now you're in my way_

_I'd trade my soul for a wish,_  
_Pennies and dimes for a kiss_  
_I wasn't looking for this,_  
_But now you're in my way_

_Your stare was holdin',_  
_Ripped jeans, skin was showin'_  
_Hot night, wind was blowin'_  
_Where do you think you're going, baby?_

* * *

_**WISHFUL THINKING**_

* * *

_**Local Bar**_

_**Unknown Location**_

**Beth's POV**

Sam had been going at Dean and failing that, me, for the last three weeks about what Uriel had said to him in the motel room regarding Dean remembering Hell. Currently it was my turn and he was following me back to the bar as I went to go and see about buying the bottle instead of doing drinks shot by shot like we had been.

"It just doesn't make any sense, Beth. I mean why would Uriel tell me Dean remembered Hell if he didn't? Why would he tell me to ask you?" He asked and I sighed, getting a little tired of having to lie, but it wasn't my place to talk about it.

"I don't know Sam, maybe he doesn't know what he's talking about, maybe he's just trying to cause trouble because he doesn't like you, hell, maybe he's a dick just like Dean says," I offered.

"Maybe, but he's still an angel," he said, looking at me. I paused and sighed up at him, letting him know as my eyes locked with his that I was tired of this line of questioning.

"Yeah, an angel who was ready to level an entire town, Sam. Look, Dean has nightmares, that's all I got, okay? Whether he actually remembers anything... well, I can't really say, that's up to Dean to talk about," I said.

I looked back toward the table where we'd been sitting and watched the topic of our conversation for a moment. He was downing one shot of whiskey after the other, and didn't look like he was slowing down any time soon. I paused, pushing my worry for him to the back of my mind. It had been three days since we'd crossed paths with Samson and Delilah, and while things were definitely on the mend, they were far from perfect.

"What can I get you?" The bartender asked as I reached the bar. I leaned over to look at the bottle he'd been serving us out of not ten minutes ago, it was still three quarters full.

"How much for the rest of the bottle?" I asked with a nod and he smirked, naming a price. I slid a fifty across the bar at him and then on a whim threw in another twenty and grabbed the bottle by its neck and unscrewing the shot pourer, handed it back..

"Thanks," I said, turning to face Dean again.

"Hey anytime sweetheart," the bartender said, pocketing the fifty and putting the twenty in the till. Sam rolled his eyes at me and started to open his mouth.

"Sam, come on give it a break would you? I have no idea why Uriel said what he did, okay?" I lied and Sam scowled, clearly not believing me but unable to prove his point. A waiter had walked up to the table where we'd been grabbing a bite to eat and Dean sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping from the attention. I quickened my pace, reaching the table as the kid started in on my troubled husband.

"You want to try a fryer bomb? Or a chipotle chili changa?" He asked Dean who tried not to jump down the guy's throat, downing another shot.

"No, no I think we're good," Dean said, smiling at me as I sat down and refilled his shot glasses, taking one in hand and knocking it back with a sigh.

"You sure? We make a mean fish taco supreme," the annoyingly bright and cheerful man offered – I found myself staring at the German style suspenders holding up his trousers. He had the entire surface of them covered in buttons with smiling faces and other happy sayings and pictures, many of them lit up and sparkled, it was a little creepy.. Sam sat down and raised his eyebrow at him.

"No, no, we're still good, but thanks," I said with a smile.

"Okay, awesome," he said with another big smile, hovering for just a few moments longer before walking away.

Sam was still looking at me expectantly and I rolled my eyes at Dean, knocking back another drink.

"Come on," Sam said, "look at the pair of you, you haven't stopped drinking in two days!"

"Oh this again?" Dean asked and I nodded, topping up the shot glasses again.

"Yep," I said, handing him a glass which he took more than willingly, sliding his fingers across mine and sending a shiver down my spine. At least one thing was back to normal and we were definitely making up for lost time. I licked my lips in anticipation of what was coming later tonight when I managed to get Dean back to our room.

"Seriously Sam, I don't have any idea why Uriel said what he did, okay?" Dean poured his shot down his throat and gasped with pleasure, putting the glass back on the table with a thump. Sam looked at the row of empty glasses and smirked sceptically.

"Right."

"What?" Dean asked innocently and I felt a little sorry for Sam. I'd encouraged Dean to tell Sam about what he remembered but he kept refusing saying he didn't want to talk about it. As it was, he hadn't really spoken about it with me, it was only because I'd seen a lot of what had gone on through my own dreams that I knew. Dean knew this, and it was a comfort to him because it meant I could understand what he was going through, what he'd experienced, without him actually having to put it into more than a few words to tell me what memory was flashing up when they did force their way into his mind.

"Okay. Fine." Sam said with a sigh. "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't remember a thing from your time down under." He stared at Dean who rolled his eyes and then met Sam's gaze straight on.

"I don't remember a thing from my time down under," he said and Sam rolled his eyes, clearly not believing him. "I don't remember, Sam!"

"Look, Dean, I just want to help," Sam said.

"You know everything I do. Okay? That's all there is," Dean forced out in as level a tone as he could given how frustrated he was by the ongoing conversation.

"Outstanding!" The cheerful waiter was back and I turned a fake smile to him as he grinned down at us. "Dessert time? Huh? Am I right?"

"Dude..." Dean grumbled, knocking back another shot and looking at me with a pained expression.

"Listen, bros. You have got to try our ice cream extreme... it's extreme," he said coaxingly.

"Uh, no extremities, please," Sam said. "Just the..."

"Check?" Happy man asked pulling the docket out of his pocket and putting it in the middle of the table. "All right, awesome," he said as he turned away.

"Thanks," Sam said and I shook my head with amusement.

"All right, so where do we go from here?" I asked, looking at Sam who had been on job detail.

"I'm not sure. Uh, looks like it's been pretty quiet lately," Sam said, frowning at the change of subject, but letting it go and reaching into his bag. "No signs of demon activity, no omens or portents I can see."

"That's good news for once," Dean muttered, reaching out and taking the bottle from in front of me and pouring himself one more shot, downing it, taking a sip of his beer and then shovelling a couple more fries into his mouth.

"Yeah," Sam said. "Just the typical smattering of crank UFO sightings and one possible vengeful spirit." He turned the laptop around and I scooted a little closer to Dean, pressing my leg up against his until we were thigh to thigh and then sliding my hand along his jeans, squeezing just above his knee.

"Here, check this out. Uh... up in Concrete, Washington, eye witness reports of a ghost that's been haunting the showers of a women's health facility."

Dean choked on his beer, almost spitting it across the table and I rolled my eyes at him before skimming the article.

"The victim claims that the ghost threw her down a flight of stairs," I said, glancing at Dean who was reaching for his wallet and pulling money out of it. "I can see you're very interested..."

"Women... showers," Dean said, throwing some money down on the table. "We got to save these people," he added with a grin, leaning over to kiss me quickly.

Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Tell me again... you guys have been married how long?"

"Uhhh," Dean said, looking at me. "Hey we got an anniversary coming up sometime soon," he said with a grin and I laughed.

"Yeah baby, we do," I said, leaning in to kiss him.

"Hmmm, fancy that," he smiled and I shook my head with a smile.

"Yeah, fancy that," I said, leaning in to kiss him again.

Sam threw his hands up in the air. "Good grief, you guys are something else, you know that? Dean practically throws himself at the naked women case and you think you're gonna make it to one year?" He asked. I laughed and squeezed Dean's thigh.

"Hey, he knows who he's coming home to," I said getting up from the table. I grabbed the whiskey bottle and waved it in the air. "Don't you Dean?" I asked, throwing him a suggestive look and putting an extra sway into my hips as I walked, starting to lead the way to the car.

"Yes ma'am," he said with a chuckle, getting up to follow and leaving Sam to stare after us, shaking his head with a smile.

* * *

_**Concrete, Washington**_

**Beth's POV**

I'd arranged to meet with Candace, one of the victims of the spirit attacks in town. She'd suggested a quaint little Chinese restaurant called Lucky Chin's and as Dean pulled the Impala up in front of it he looked across at me, a flash of worry passing behind those hazel eyes before he smiled to cover it up.

"No fortune cookies, huh?" He said and I laughed softly with a nod.

"Definitely no fortune cookies... or tricksters... for that matter," I said, leaning across to kiss his cheek. "I'd much rather make love to you in my own body," I said softly in his ear and received a soft moan in reply.

"Later," Dean promised and I winked, pulling back and opening the door.

"I'll see you at the fitness centre when I'm done," I said and Dean nodded, pulling out from the curb and driving off as I closed the door. I stretched a little, adjusting my jeans and smoothing out the red tank top I had covered with a black leather jacket that hit me mid-thigh and also hid the gun at the small of my back. I pulled out a small notebook and pen and looked toward the building.

Candace, it turned out, was a very attractive young woman in her mid-thirties with long luscious brown hair and matching eyes. She was flushed and smiling, almost excited about her encounter at the fitness centre. The only odd thing out was her right arm which was in a sling, injured from the fall where the spirit had pushed her down the stairs. I fought not to roll my eyes at some of her comments, because there was nothing exciting about being tossed about by a spirit, and I was talking from experience.

"I'm not surprised the spirit world chose to make contact with me. I'm something of a … natural sensitive," Candace was saying and I forced my attention back to her, pushing the memories of that day where I had been tossed out a second-storey window by a poltergeist.

"I can sense that about you, Candace," I said with a nod. "That whole... sensitive thing."

"So, what did you say you're calling your book?" She asked suddenly and I hesitated, almost thrown by the question.

"Oh, well, um... well the working title is... _Supernatural_," I said with a nod. "Yeah. I've been crossing the country, gathering stories like yours. But anyway, you were telling me about your encounter," I said, bringing it back to her favourite subject: her.

"Yes, well..." Candace said. "Once I saw the apparition, that's when I started to run..." I turned my head, hearing a giggle from a woman sitting in a chair not far from us. She reached across and took her partner's face in her hands and kissed him hard, he moaned and I couldn't help but stare, they were practically mauling each other in public. A memory of Dean and I in a similar embrace in a restaurant suddenly popped into mind and I smiled. I forced myself back to Candance.

"And you said the ghost chased you?" I asked.

"Not just that. It knew my name. It kept yelling, 'Mrs Armstrong! Mrs Armstrong!' And that's when I hit the stairs and fell," Candace said, sitting back in her chair.

"You fell? The ghost didn't push you?" I asked, a little thrown by the fact that a ghost would be calling out to this woman as it chased her.

"Oh, I don't – I don't know. I mean, I think it did. Maybe," Candace said hesitantly.

"Did you feel like it meant to hurt you, like it was violent, or..."

"It was a ghost. I'm lucky to be alive," Candace cut in dramatically and I tried not to smirk. "Anyway, I was at the bottom of the stairs, and that's when it got weird," she chuckled. "It helped me up."

I looked up from the note I was making in my book to make it look like I was even halfway interested in her story. "Say again?"

"Yeah. It helped me up. And it kept saying over and over, 'Please don't tell my mom,'" she said.

I paused, looking at her. She wasn't lying. "Yeah," I said with a frown. "That's weird."

* * *

_**Fitness Centre**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean was sitting on the steps of the fitness centre reading a local paper when I arrived, skipping along the footpath.

"Well, you pick up anything?" I asked as I came within a few feet of where he was sitting..

Folding the paper up, he looked at me with an arched eyebrow that clearly told me he felt like he'd been wasting his time.

"No EMF in the shower or anywhere else. This house is clean," he said, standing up face to face with me.

"Yeah, I'm not surprised. I kind of got the feeling back there that _crazy _pushed Mrs Armstrong down the stairs," I said, thinking back to her nutty story.

"I got to tell you," Dean said, sliding his hands around my waist and pulling me in to face him. "I'm pretty disappointed,"

I grinned up at him. "Awwww... you wanted to save naked women," I teased and he grinned.

"Damn right I wanted to save some naked women," he said, leaning in to kiss my neck and I chuckled in response. His lips trailed along my soft skin and I moaned quietly, thinking about them in other places on my body.

"Well there's one naked woman I know of who could always use saving," I said and he moaned into my neck as he licked his way up to my earlobe, nibbling at it softly.

"Yeah, I hear her husband's a real lame ass, pretty boy but not much in the bedroom," he said and I giggled, slipping my hands around his waist.

"Definitely, I think this woman needs a real man to save her, she needs... Batman," I said with a raised eyebrow, thinking about how not so long ago Dean had referred to himself as that during a supernaturally cursed lucky streak.

"I can be Batman," he said with a grin, leaning in to kiss my lips.

Pounding footsteps sounded as a young boy went racing by on the dock. Three clearly older and more malevolent looking boys were chasing him.

"Come on, guys, get him!" One of the boys called out.

"I got him! I got him!" Another yelled as they raced after the much smaller, but clearly faster kid in front. Dean stopped what he was doing to watch the kids.

"Run, Forrest, run!" He yelled and I hit him, frowning.

"Dean!"

"What?

"That could be your kid someday!" I said and he shook his head.

"Oh I don't think so sugarpie, our kid is gonna know how to fight," he said confidently.

"Yeah, okay, John," Sam's voice said and I looked up to see our little brother had joined us sometime during the conversation about the kids. Dean frowned at the reference to John and then looked at Sam.

"Sorry guys, but I don't think anything's going on around here," Sam said.

I looked over to see a man arguing with a police officer, their voices carrying to us on the cool afternoon air.

"How the Hell was I supposed to get a look at it? It grabbed me from behind and threw me into a tree!" A tall man said, clearly agitated. He was dressed in a flannel shirt with a brown vest over the top and a baseball cap covering shortly cropped hair.

"Something's going on," Dean said, following my gaze.

"Yeah, okay, Gus. I understand you got shook up. Anyone would be. But don't you think it – don't you think it had to be a bear?" The officer was asking, looking sceptically at the man in front of him.

"I know a damn bear track when I see one!" Gus snapped "This thing didn't leave bear tracks! Its feet were huge!" Dean's eyes perked up at that and I groaned internally. He was still on the elusive hunt for Bigfoot, even eight years after our failed attempt at finding one.

"Now, Gus..."

"It was Bigfoot, Hal – _The Bigfoot!" _Gus insisted and Dean's steps picked up just a little.

"Gus, you're not talking sense here," the officer said.

"There's a Bigfoot out there, damn it, and he's a son of a bitch!" Gus was shouting now, his voice raised and pitched slightly higher from his excitement.

"Excuse us," Dean said, stepping forward and flashing his badge. "FBI."

"What?" The officer asked, confused. Gus turned around, his demeanour instantly changing as he settled down, moving to stand back next to the officer with his arms crossed.

"Yes, sir. We're here about the uh... the..."

"About Bigfoot?" The officer asked incredulously, looking at Dean like he was as mad as Gus.

"That's right," Dean said with a nod, turning to Gus. "Sir, can you tell me exactly where this happened?"

"Yes, I can," Gus said quietly, looking us over.

* * *

_**Woods**_

**Beth's POV**

"What the Hell's going on in this town?" Dean asked as we walked along the dirt path in the direction Gus had sent us. "First there's a ghost that's not real, and now a Bigfoot sighting?"

"Well every hunter worth his salt knows Bigfoot's a hoax," Sam snickered, looking at Dean who managed to look offended.

"Hey! Jury's still out on that!" He snapped and I grinned, shaking my head.

"Well maybe somebody's pumping LSD into the town water supply," I suggested with a smile, shaking my head. It was about the best suggestion I had.

We took a couple more steps and then I slowed, seeing it. The boys spotted the same indentation in the dirt that I did and hesitating only briefly with a look at each other, they walked closer to reveal a huge track sunken into the ground.

"Okay...what do you suppose made that then? Oh disbeliever?" Dean asked.

"That, uh... well that is a big foot," I said, nodding and conceding the point. It looked a little like a bear foot, but at least twenty times bigger than it should. It was beyond large, it was huge.

"Okay," Sam said, shrugging. He had as good a comeback as any.

Dean pointed in the direction that the prints led and we exchanged intrigued looks, deciding without speaking to follow. The tracks led through the woods which skirted around a large park in town and then up a hill to a car park. Across a little creek was a red brick building and the muddy prints led across a little bridge toward the back door.

As we approached the building we saw that the exterior door was torn completely off its hinges and leaning against the wall. A sign advertising _Liquor Store _over the door hung lopsided and I eased my sidearm out from under my jacket flipping off the safety.

"Okay..." Dean said, raising an eyebrow and I shrugged. "Ladies first... especially when they're packing," he said with a grin and I chuckled, taking the couple of steps up to the door and holding the gun out front, finger resting lightly beside the trigger. I listened for any noise inside but there was nothing, likely we were too late.

When I stepped into the store it was in shambles. Worn red floorboards were littered with empty bottles of liquor, bags of chips and popcorn lay broken open, their contents spilling across the aisles. I dropped my gun to my side, but kept it out just in case as we all stepped into the store to look around.

"So, what – Bigfoot breaks into a liquor store jonesing for some hooch?" Dean asked. He bent down to look at some of the empty bottles on the floor and grinned, looking up at me. "Amaretto and Irish cream. He's a girl drink drunk," he declared with a snicker. I chuckled, shaking my head.

"Seem to remember you liking that combination one night," I commented and Sam laughed, moving ahead of us.

"Yeah, yeah I remember that..." Sam tossed back with a raised eyebrow. "Didn't you uh... didn't you let Beth convince you to take her to see _Shakespeare in Love_ after your girly drink session?"

Dean opened his mouth to retort and then shut it, scratching at his head. I snorted. "Well he owed me one after making me go see _There's Something About Mary," _I said. Mind you, I'd actually enjoyed that movie in the end.

"Yeah, somehow I don't think he was going because he owed you one," Sam commented with a laugh. "Say... when did you guys say you hooked up?" He asked, looking at us with a sly grin.

My eyes widened and I laughed. "Well it wasn't over _Shakespeare in Love _!" I said and Dean nodded emphatically.

"Yeah, that was one ridiculous damn movie..."

"Awwww I thought it was sweet, all about forbidden passion and love," I said walking around another aisle and checking it out.

"My point exactly," Dean said. "Had enough of that as it was..." he muttered, coming up behind me and I grimaced. He was right about that. I had been able to indulge my guilty pleasure of spending movie time with Dean by putting my head on his shoulder during the movie and he'd eventually put his arm around my shoulder, holding me to him. Feeding him popcorn had been the highlight of the whole night.

Dean reached out in front of us and picked up a small bottle of whiskey, grinning and sliding it into his jacket pocket, I shook my head at him and he gave me a _'What?' _innocent look that drove me a little crazy.

"Hey, check this out," Sam called out from the end of an aisle and we walked casually down to join him, avoiding the debris on the floor.

Sam was staring at a magazine rack which had been raided. There were a couple of magazines left, but the majority were gone.

"He took the whole porno rack?" Dean asked, shaking his head. Sam reached out and pulled a tuft of fur from behind a magazine, it was thick and black, and looked like it had come off a bear. "Well, I'll say it again. What the Hell is going on in this town?" Dean asked.

We left the liquor store via the front entrance, leading us away from the broken door and tracks that had come up the rear. Taking a seat on the bench by the pavement I searched my mind for any thoughts on what we might be dealing with.

"I got nothing," Dean said out of the blue and I nodded, neither did I.

"It's got to be a joke, right?" Sam asked. "Some big-ass mother in a gorilla suit?"

"Or it's a Bigfoot," Dean insisted, not willing to give up on the idea just yet.

"A Bigfoot who is an alcoholic porno addict?" I asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, kind of like a deep woods Duchovny," Dean joked and I laughed. My eyes suddenly caught sight of a little girl on a push bike riding up the hill and when she passed us a magazine flew out of the box that was attached to the back of her bike.

Dean rose to his feet, moving toward the magazine and picking it up, turning to show us. "Little young for Busty Asian Beauties," he commented, holding the porn magazine up for us to see. The girl had disappeared around the back of the liquor store and I decided to follow her, the boys trailing after me.

Peeking around the corner just in time to see her ride off down the path we had come, Dean nodded and we hurried after her, pausing just long enough to see that she'd returned a box full of liquor and pornos, a 'sorry' note attached at the top.

"Let's go," Dean said and started to jog after her, Sam and I following close behind.

* * *

_**Little Girl's House **_

**Beth's POV**

I led the way up to the house which was a simple weatherboard, clean and middle class, comfortable.

"What's this, like a _Harry and the Hendersons deal?"_ Dean asked as we reached the porch. I shrugged and knocked on the door, the same little girl from earlier answered.

"Hello?" She asked and I smiled down at her.

"Hello! What's your name?" I asked, crouching down in front of her and she looked at me curiously.

"Audrey," she supplied. "What's yours?"

"Oh, well my name is Beth, and this is Dean and Sam, they're my brothers. We were … well we..." I said and then realised I really had no idea what I was asking about. "Are your parents home?" I asked when nothing else came to me.

"Nope."

"No..." I said, glancing at the boys.

Dean frowned and shrugged at me before turning to the little girl. "No. Um.. have you seen a really, really furry..."

"Is he in trouble?!" Audrey cut in urgently and Dean looked a little taken aback by the question.

"No," Sam said, chuckling. "No, no, no. Not at all. We just ..."

"We just wanted to make sure he was okay," I said, smiling at the little girl who was frantically looking back and forth from me to the boys.

"Exactly," Dean said from behind me and I could practically see the smile plastered to his face trying to reassure the girl.

"He's my teddy bear. I think he's sick," Audrey said with a worried look.

"Wow. Uh... amazing," Dean said and I looked back at him. "Cause you know what? We..." he reached into his pocket and pulled out an official looking badge. "...are, uh... teddy bear doctors."

"Really?" Audrey asked with a smile. "Can you please take a look at him?"

"Sure," I said with a smile, standing up straight and shrugging at the boys.

"Sure. Yeah." Dean said with an equally as confused look.

Audrey led us inside and up a flight of stairs to a bedroom door where she hesitated, looking up at us. "He's in my bedroom. He's pretty grumpy," she said, turning to knock on the door. "Teddy? There's some nice doctors here to see you." Twisting the handle, the door swung open and I could barely believe my eyes.

Sitting on the little bed in the centre of the room was a huge black teddy bear that was moving. Not only that, it was drinking from a bottle of bourbon, his eyes looking at the TV.

"Close the friggin' door!" He yelled upon the intrusion and Audrey sighed, obeying the command.

"See what I mean?" She asked, looking up at us like it was the more normal thing in the world to have a real live teddy bear drinking booze and watching TV in your room. I looked stunned at Dean whose mouth had fallen open. Sam, for once in his life, was also speechless.

Audrey didn't seem to notice our stunned silence, talking to us as if we were what we had claimed: teddy bear doctors.

"All I ever wanted was a teddy which was big, real and talked. But not he's sad all the time – not _ouch _sad, but _ouch-in-the-head _sad – says weird stuff, and smells like the bus," she continued as if giving us her best list of symptoms so we could treat him.

"Um, little girl..." Dean said.

"Audrey," she corrected him.

"Audrey, right. How exactly did your teddy bear become real?" He asked with as level a voice as I've ever heard.

"I wished for it."

"You wished for it?" Sam asked with a slight frown.

"At the wishing well," Audrey said with a nod.

I watched as Dean hesitantly reached for the door again, opening it and looking in at the teddy bear. Teddy was sitting watching on a chair, staring at the television which was playing a 24-hour news station.

"Look at this," Teddy said, rocking in place and pointing at the screen which was showing some sort of attack in the Middle East. "You believe this crap?"

"Not really," Dean said, giving Teddy an appraising look. The Bear turned his big glass eyes to look at us all.

"It is a terrible world," Teddy said, looking at us. "Why am I here?!" He asked loudly and Dean jerked back a little, appearing a bit disconcerted.

"For tea parties!" Audrey called out in answer.

"Tea parties?" Teddy said with a slightly hysterical laugh. "Is that all there is?" He asked, starting to sob and turning back to the TV. Dean's eyes widened in his classic _oh my freaking god this is insane _look as he backed slowly out of the room and closed the door.

"Audrey, give us a second, okay?" I asked and she nodded, looking sadly at the floor and sighing.

I indicated with a slight incline of my head for the boys to follow me and we stepped to the end of the hallway. "Okay. Are we... should we...uh," I scratched my head, frowning. "Are we gonna kill this teddy bear?" I whispered, not believing the words were coming out of my mouth.

"How?" Dean asked. "Do we shoot it, burn it?"

"I don't know," Sam said with a shrug. "Both?"

"How do we even know that's gonna work? I don't want some giant, flaming, pissed-off teddy on our hands," Dean said and I swallowed hard, reaching into his jacket and pulling out the bottle of whiskey he had pocketed earlier. I opened it and chugged the equivalent of a couple of shots in one go before handing it to Dean who did the same.

"Yeah," I said. "Besides, I get the feeling that the bear isn't really the... you know... core problem here." I turned back to look at the sullen little girl by her bedroom door. "Audrey, where are your parents?" I asked.

Audrey shrugged and looked at me. "My mom wished they were in Bali, so I think they're in Bali," she answered. Bali. Great.

"Okay, well...I'm really sorry to have to break this to you, but...your bear is sick," I said and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, he's – he's got..."

"Lollipop disease," Dean cut in.

"Lollipop disease," Sam confirmed with a nod.

"It's not uncommon for a bear his size," Dean said, the lie spilling easily from his golden lips. "But, see, it's really contagious," he added.

"Yeah, so, is there someone, maybe a grown up, that you can stay with while we treat him?" Sam asked.

"Mrs Hurley lives down the street," Audrey said.

"Perfect," Dean said with a smile and I felt the need to take another belt of alcohol.

"Good, yeah, good," Sam said. "Uh, we'd like you to stay there for a few days, okay?"

"Okay," Audrey agreed with a nod.

"Oh, and, Audrey? Where is this wishing well?" I asked.

* * *

_**Lucky Chin's Chinese Restaurant**_

**Beth's POV**

When we arrived at the restaurant I'd been in earlier with Candace, we headed straight for the wishing well, staring down into the water.

"Think it works?" Dean asked.

"Got a better explanation for teddy back there?" I asked and he shrugged.

"Well, there's one way to find out," he said and started patting around in his pockets. "Uh, babe, you got a coin?" He asked and I rolled my eyes, reaching into my jeans and pulling out a quarter. I held it for a moment, thinking about the last time I'd done this, it had been in Sioux Falls right before my 21st birthday. Dean, Cole, Sam and I had gone into town to buy a new table after Cole and John had broken the one in the kitchen while they were wrestling. Well that had been the official story.

Dean and I had been fighting because we'd made out all night and then I'd pushed him away with the same old crap about John's rules the next morning. I'd found out just before we'd left that John and Cole were secretly seeing each other, and when Dean had stormed off on me at one point when out shopping for something to wear for my 21st birthday celebrations, I'd been sick to my stomach over it.

Cole had spotted the well on the way back to the car, and pulled me over to it. Laughing she'd tossed in a coin, winking at me and saying _"May we always be in the arms of the men who love us just as much as we love them." _I'd raised my eyebrow at her, knowing full well who she meant, but she wasn't talking at that point, it was still a secret she was with John, even though I'd accidentally stumbled across them.

I smiled in the ten seconds all this stirred up in me, thinking about those better times, before the return of the yellow-eyed demon, before John died, before Sam died and we sold our souls to bring him back, and before Dean was sent to Hell. With a sigh I handed the coin over to Dean wishing that we could go back to those brighter days with John.

Dean grinned, missing the sigh, and closed his eyes for a moment.

"What are you gonna wish for?" Sam asked.

"Shhh!" Dean said before tossing the coin in the well. "Not supposed to tell."

We paused and waited and suddenly the door to the restaurant opened and I nearly fell over dead when I saw who walked in. "Somebody order a footlong Italian with jalapeno?" Asked the familiar voice that I'd know anywhere. Dark brown eyes peered at us with a twinkle in them as he held up a sandwich in his hand, waving it about. I didn't care about the sandwich, I was completely unable to speak as were the boys, seeing the man standing in front of us. It was John.

Dean and Sam exchanged a look and raising his hand, Dean looked back at the wishing well. "That'd be me," he said and then moved instinctively as his father tossed him the sandwich.

"Should've known," he quipped with a smirk and Dean shook his head, closing his eyes and then looked at me.

"What the hell did you do?" He asked urgently and I swallowed, recalling what I'd been thinking about when I handed Dean the coin.

"Oh shit," I said softly, meeting Dean's hazel eyes. "Ohhhh shit."

We were sitting at a table, the four of us, like we'd just jumped back in time seven years.

"Hang on, hang on," John was saying, shaking his head and holding his hand out. "What are you guys talking about? We just finished up that werewolf job in Minnesota," he said and I shook my head, reaching for the bottle of liquor Dean had put on the table. I took another swig straight out of the bottle and put it down with a thumb.

"Maybe you should slow down on that Bethie," John said and I groaned.

"Oh I don't think she's had nearly enough," Dean said, looking at me a little worriedly. I had gone white as a ghost as soon as John walked in and my legs gave way shortly after, the boys catching me and getting me to the table.

"We got a real problem here,' Dean added and Sam nodded emphatically.

"Yeah, Dad, you shouldn't be here... you..." I kicked Sam under the table and threw him a glare to silence what he was about to say and John frowned at us.

"What's going on? What aren't you telling me?" He asked and Dean and I shrugged.

"Nothing, nothing," Dean said, taking a sip of the whiskey himself. "Just that, there seems to be this wish thing going on … people's wishes are coming true," he said.

"I think it works," Dean said, biting into his sandwich. "I was pretty specific. Except for the delivery boy..." He looked at me and I hung my head. John got up to grab a paper from a table across the room and the boys looked anxiously at me.

"What the hell happened?" Dean asked.

"Me? Why are you looking at me?" I asked quickly.

"Because you handed me the coin! Did you wish for Dad to be alive?" He asked and I shook my head.

"No! No I would never!" I said, shaking my head. "Well, okay maybe I would, but I didn't. I was just... I was thinking about the last time we made wishes in a well, you remember Sam?"

Sam thought about it and then nodded. "Yeah, on your 21st birthday, you were upset with Dean..." Dean looked at me and I avoided his gaze.

"Well, I was just thinking how nice it would be to have things back to those good days... you know? And I guess... well I guess it picked up on Dad being gone."

"Mmm," John said with a nod, coming back and holding up the local paper where there was an article about a local man winning the lottery. "I'm guessing this is one of those wishes you're talking about."

I pointed at the couple I'd seen earlier who were back at the restaurant, still madly in love and all over each other. "I'm guessing them too," I said, noting that the girl was completely out of his league.

Dean looked over where I was pointing to see the girl feeding a dumpling to the geeky looking guy sitting opposite her.

"Well that definitely goes on the list," he said, shaking his head. "What are we supposed to do, huh? Stop people's wishes from coming true? I mean, it sounds like kind of a douche-y thing to do," he said, and then he looked at John who was perusing the menu. "And it has it's up sides..."

"Yeah, maybe," Sam said sceptically, frowning slightly. "But come on, man. When has something like this ever come without a price tag? And usually a deadly one." He had a point.

"I don't know Sam, it's a damn good sandwich," Dean said with a grin. Sam looked at John and Dean rolled his eyes. I smiled, seeing a faint smile on John's lips which hadn't been there for a while until Cole and him hooked up, it made me smile. But it couldn't last, could it?

"Hey Bethie, what you smiling at?" John asked, looking up at me.

"Oh, nothing. It's just good to see you," I said, glancing over at Dean.

"I just went down the street to get gas," he said with a raised eyebrow.

"Feels like it's been forever," I said, shrugging and blinking back a couple of tears. I was not going to break down and cry like a blubbering baby. Dean reached under the table and squeezed my thigh and I grabbed his hand, holding it tightly.

"Well I still think we need to be careful, these wishes are going to backfire, or something, they always do," Sam said.

"All right. Fine. We'll put a hold on the wishing till we figure out what's going on," John said.

An older chinese gentleman walked up to the table, glancing at Dean's sandwich which was half eaten. "Uh, gentlemen, gentleman... and lady. I'm sorry. We don't allow people to eat outside food here."

Dean paused and then glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I am certainly not gonna eat the inside food here," he said, and started patting around his pockets. I watched as he pulled one ID out and then glancing at it, flipped it closed again, tucking it back in his pocket before pulling another one out of his jeans. He smiled when he looked at this one and flipped it open.

"Health department. You, my friend, have a rat infestation. We're gonna have to shut this place down under emergency hazard code 56C," he said.

"Rats?!" The man exclaimed.

Several hours later the restaurant was abandoned and we had drained all the water from the fountain. I was sweeping up coins from the fountain, and I looked up, shaking my head at John who was standing next to me with the owner.

"Typical fountain, plaster Buddha. Nothing I can see," I said.

"Yes, nothing. We keep a clean place here," the owner insisted.

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to leave during the preliminary investigation, okay?" John said, placing his hand on the man's shoulder. He hesitated for just a moment like he was going to argue, and then wandered away going to the back of the restaurant.

"Oh come on," Dean was saying to Sam from the other side of the fountain. He pulled a coin out of his pocket and flipped it to his brother. "Aren't you a little bit tempted?"

Sam smiled and shook his head, chuckling. "No," he said, handing the coin back to Dean. "Wouldn't be real. I wouldn't trust it."

"I don't know," I said, looking at John who was flipping through his journal over by one of the tables. "He looks pretty damn real to me, and that bear..."

"Yeah," Sam said.

"Come on, if you could wish yourself back, you know, before it all started... Think about it. You'd be some big yuppie lawyer with a nice car and a white picket fence," Dean said, looking at our little brother. He was essentially saying what I'd wished for.

"Not what I'd wish for," Sam said, shaking his head.

"Seriously?" Dean asked, looking surprised.

"It's too late to go back to our old lives, Dean. I'm not that guy anymore," Sam said and I smiled sadly at him, no he wasn't, but that didn't mean he couldn't be. It didn't mean that he wouldn't be happy living the dream with Jess. And where would Dean and I be if we didn't have to watch out for Sam?

"All right, well, what then? Hmm? What would Sammy wish for?" Dean asked.

"Lilith's head on a plate," Sam said without hesitation. "Bloody." His eyes darkened and I saw the anger sitting just below the surface, the same anger that had been so cruel to me when Dean had died, and it sent a shiver down my spine. Oh he might be playing nice, and had realised a few things about what he'd done during our last case, but it was still there, just waiting to be unleashed.

Dean saw it too and shifted a little uncomfortably, instead glancing down at the fountain. "Okay, what is that?" He asked, pointing at a larger coin among all the pennies and dimes.

I leaned forward to get a better look. "Some kind of old coin, I don't recognise the markings."

Dean reached down and tried to pick the coin up, but it wouldn't budge. "Damn."

"Lift with your legs," Sam said and Dean threw him a frustrated look.

"Is that little mother welded on there?" Dean grunted, looking at us.

"Huh." John said, coming over to look at what we were doing. "Well I can fix that." He disappeared from the restaurant while we were contemplating that statement and minutes later reappeared carrying a crowbar and hammer, the latter of which he handed to Sam.

"Hey, hey, hey, what is this?! You are gonna break my fountain!" The owner exclaimed, when he saw John brace the crowbar against the coin.

"Sir, I don't want to slap you with a 44/16, but I will," Sam said raising his eyebrows at me and I almost laughed. The man hesitated as if considering what Sam had just threatened him with. He sighed and turned to leave. "All right, thanks," Sam said, patting him on the shoulder.

John was continuing to struggle with the crowbar and then Dean, looking at the hammer in Sam's hands, stepped forward.

"Let me see that. I got an idea," he said, taking the hammer off Sam and then moving beside his father to position the crowbar against the side of the coin and then stepped back with a smile, bracing the hammer in both his hands.

"Oh this is a bad idea..." I groaned.

Dean chuckled, tossing me another smile and then lifted the hammer over his head, swinging down hard with precise aim, hitting the crowbar.

"Ho!" The owner yelled as the end of the hammer went spinning through the air, breaking clean off the handle landing near his feet.

"Damn!" Dean exclaimed.

"Coin's magical," John said.

"Boy, I'd say. I think it's hoodoo that's protecting the well. I don't think we can destroy this," Dean said.

Sam pulled a notepad out of his jacket and using a pencil he took a tracing of the coin, ripping the page out and handing it to me.

"All right, here. You got to look into this," he said.

"Well where are you going?" I asked, looking at him in surprise.

"Something just occurred to me," Sam said and I saw John watching him curiously.

"I'm coming with you," John said and Sam shook his head.

"No, you … you should just stay with Dean and Beth, look into the coin," Sam said but John smirked, shaking his head.

"I think your brother and sister are more than capable of a little coin research, I'm coming," he argued and without waiting for an answer he walked toward the door leaving Sam to sigh and follow.

* * *

_**Fitness Centre**_

**Sam's POV**

Now that we knew we were dealing with an enchanted item, it suddenly made sense to me how it was that a you'd get a weepy, freaked out ghost at the fitness centre. Short version: he wasn't a ghost.

I found myself in the women's changeroom at the fitness centre, Dad tailing along with me. As we started to enter the room Dad hesitated and I raised my eyebrow at him.

"You know Sammy, you're a lot more confident than you used to be," Dad said. "You know, with the hunt... and you just completely bossed your brother and sister about back there." I snickered, he didn't know the half of it. I found myself wondering just how he was going to react when he found out they were married... or hell, when he found out Cole was currently raising his youngest son.

I pushed the thought out of my head as quickly as it had come. He couldn't stay, that much was clear, this was going to go bad and no telling how, it was just a matter of time. So far he hadn't thought to call Cole, and I was hoping it was going to stay that way, at the very least he'd have trouble if he did get the urge, he had no phone, and she'd changed her numbers several times since he'd died.

Entering the changerooms I saw a blonde woman standing at the mirror brushing her hair, dressed in nothing but a towel. Dad frowned and shook his head at me with a shrug and I nodded to the floor. There along the dry floor were wet footprints making their way closer to the woman.

Reaching out when the footprints stopped, I felt my hand hit something solid, and instantly a pale skinned kid with red hair and freckles appeared in front of me. The woman looked up to see the three of us standing and turned, looking startled.

"Don't worry ma'am," I said, flashing her my badge. "I'm with the health department." She frowned, grabbing her bag of toiletries and ran past us, and I had to hand it to her, no scream, she took that kind of well.

"What?" The kid asked, looking ashamed and holding his hands in front of his now fully exposed groin.

"So, you can turn it on and off, huh?" I said, turning back to him.

"How...how did you know that I was..."

"You actually walked up to a wishing well, dropped a dime, and wished to be invisible so you could spy on women in the shower?" Dad asked, chiming in with his stern look that in earlier years would have set me off.

"N-No. No. N-No, no, no. That's crazy," the kid denied and I shook my head.

"Put on some pants, and stay visible," I said sternly, poking him in the chest with a finger.

"O- okay," he said with a nod, almost waddling toward the back of the changeroom.

Dad was staring at him with a darkness in his eyes, scowling and I frowned, what was up with him?

* * *

_**Downtown**_

**Beth's POV**

Sam had taken the Impala, so Dean and I were walking back to the motel. He was chuckling, his hand around my shoulder, fingers tracing through my hair as he leaned in to kiss the soft skin between my neck and shoulder. I groaned, slipping my arm around him and leaning into his touch.

"You're a bad boy," I said and he sucked a little harder, murmuring his agreement.

There were shouts next to us and I startled as the three bullies from earlier in the day went sprinting past us, the little kid they'd been chasing now having turned the tables, chasing them now. I realised that I'd seen the kid leaving the restaurant as we'd arrived, and stared as he chased down his bullies. He saw me watching and paused, turning from me to Dean, who had stopped kissing me and was also looking at the boy.

"You got a problem, mister?" He asked.

"What?" Dean asked, surprised. "No." He looked nervously at me and the boy smirked, running off again.

I heard a loud gurgling coming from Dean's stomach and he reached down, clutching a hand to it.

"Dean?" I asked, concerned, and he groaned, almost doubling over.

"Oh man..." he whined.

We were near the motel, so taking his arm in mine, I helped him to the room while he continued to clutch at his stomach moaning softly. "Oh Beth... not good..."

"You'll be okay," I reassured him, but as I got the door open he ran past me, straight for the bathroom and I heard him throwing up as I entered the room and closed the door.

Half an hour later Dean was still wrapped around the toilet. I brought him in a bottle of water and wet a cloth, holding it up to his forehead.

"Ahhhh, that's nice," he said softly as I rubbed his shoulders with my free hand. The vomiting had seemed to stop about ten minutes ago, but he was still dry heaving and looking miserable in general.

There was a sound at the door and I looked up through the open bathroom door as Sam and John walked in.

"Dean?" Sam asked, seeing us at the toilet. "You all right?"

"The wishes turn bad, Sam," Dean answered with a strained voice. "The wishes turn very bad."

"The sandwich huh?" Sam asked as I stood up and nodded.

"Yeah," I said, casting an appraising eye at John who was sitting at the table by the window, fidgeting as he pulled apart a handgun and then reassembled it.

"The coin was Babylonian," I said, looking at Sam. "It's cursed. I found some fragments of a legend. The uh, the serpent is Tiamat, which is the Babylonian god of primordial chaos. I guess their priests were working some serious black magic."

"They made the coin?" Sam asked, and I nodded as Dean got up off the bathroom floor.

"Yeah, to sow the seeds of chaos. Whoever tosses a coin in the wishing well, makes a wish, it turns on the well. Then it starts granting wishes to all comers," I said, smiling sympathetically at Dean as he staggered past me to the bed, throwing himself back on it with a groan.

"But the wishes get twisted," Sam said, his eyes turning to look at John. "You ask for a talking teddy..."

"You get a bipolar nut job," I finished.

"And you get E. coli," he said to Dean who groaned a reply. "Well what about...?" His voice trailed off and he inclined his head toward John, then leaned forward.

"Anything?" I asked.

"Yeah, the last fifteen minutes he's been worked up and anxious, looking over his shoulder like there's something coming after him," he said softly and I bit my lip, nodding.

"Well this thing has turned more than one town upside down over the centuries. IT's even wiped a few off the map," I said, glancing at Dean and then John with worry. "I mean, one person gets their wish, it's trouble, but everybody gets their wish..."

"It's chaos," Sam said.

"Yeah."

"Any way to stop it?" Dean asked, looking up from where he had his arm draped across his eyes and was lying flat on his back on the bed.

"Yeah. One way. We have to find the first wisher. Whoever dropped the coin in and made the first wish, they're the only ones who can pull it back out and reverse the wishes," I said.

"So for now, we've got a couple of nutso dreams come true, but once the word gets out about the well, things are just gonna get crazier and crazier," Dean said, sitting up.

"Yeah," I said with a nod.

Dean had fallen asleep on the bed after another round of throwing up and the rest of us were quietly conversing about what to do with the fountain and coin. John was pacing the room, getting antsy and several times I'd had to bite my tongue from telling him to sit down and shut up.

Suddenly I noticed the telltale sounds of Dean whimpering in this sleep, and he started to thrash around on the bed.

"Beth..." he called out and I got up, hurrying over to his side, climbing on the bed with him.

I took his shoulders in my hands and gently shaking him said, "Dean. Baby wake up."

Dean jerked awake and went to grab at me, stopping when he realised it was me. "What? I'm up, what?" he said and I sighed, brushing my hand across his sweaty forehead.

"Sleep well?" Sam asked sarcastically and I threw him a glare as Dean caught his breath.

"You okay?" I asked quietly

"Yeah," Dean muttered, rolling away from me and to the side of the bed, taking a sip of whiskey out of the bottle he had left there. I grimaced and moved next to him, meeting his eyes which looked troubled, but he was holding it together. "Tanned, rested and ready," he said with a little smile, trying to fob it off. He reached out and pulled me into him, kissing me softly and I moaned, returning the kiss. "Now that's a good way to wake up." Dean said as he pulled away with a genuine smile.

There was the sound of spluttering from behind us and I realised almost immediately what we'd just done. I turned, that familiar sense of guilt returning to sit in my stomach as John stared at us, his eyes darkening.

"Did you just kiss your sister?" John asked

"Uh, yeah, so?" Dean said, shrugging, trying to appear casual.

"I thought we went over this years ago Dean! You are to keep your damn hands off your sister, keep your mind on the job!" John said loudly. Dean's body tensed under my hand and he scowled, looking at me.

"Jesus Christ.." he muttered, shaking his head. "He's got a lot of nerve given Cole."

"What did you say?" John demanded coming around, Dean didn't respond.

"Dean, you will answer me when I ask you a..."

"Oh give it a break Dad, we're not freaking kids anymore," Dean snapped, standing up.

"You... the pair of you … I _knew _something was going on with you two!" John snapped and he stepped forward, grabbing Dean by the shirt, practically lifting him off the bed.

"Wait! Dad... just... stop!" I said, crawling to my knees and then off the bed, getting in between them.

"No, how long has this been going on?" He asked roughly. "What did you do to her? You took advantage of your own sister?!"

"What? No!" Dean said, shoving John off him.

"Dad just stop," I said, looking frantically at Sam who stood up from where he'd been doing research.

"I said how long has this been going on!" John yelled at us and I flinched.

"Seven years Dad!" Dean snapped and John let him go.

"Seven... what?"

I realised with a start that in John's timeline, I hadn't even known them for seven years then.

"What the hell is going on here?" John asked and Dean, trying to calm the situation down, put some space between John and himself.

"Look, Dad, you need to calm down," he said and John immediately started to get riled up again.

"Dad," Sam said, stepping in. "You need to listen to us, okay?"

"Sam, did you … did you know about this?" He asked, turning to his younger son.

"Yeah I did Dad," Sam said softly. "We all do, everyone except you."

John's eyes suddenly went dark with anger and he pushed Sam aside, moving toward Dean and getting up in his face.

"Did I not make myself clear about this?!" He yelled into Dean's unmoving form.

"Yeah, crystal clear Dad," Dean said. "So freaking crystal clear it took her six years to figure out what she wanted, six years Dad! You really did a number on us, you know that?"

John lashed out with a fist and caught Dean unexpectedly on the side of the head.

"Dad!" I yelled, running to Dean's side while Sam grabbed at his father.

"Stop it!"

"Dad stop it," Sam said. "You don't understand."

"Damn straight I don't understand!" John said, straining against Sam's hold.

I reached out and took a deep breath, my left hand extended out in front of me. My eyes caught my wedding ring and I hesitated, but realised he had to be told.

"Dad, listen to me," I said, locking eyes with his. "Listen, please. There's a lot you don't know because, well because you aren't right."

"What are you talking about Bethie?"

"Uh, first off, Beth's not my sister, she's my wife." Dean cut in, seeing the warning going off in John's eyes.

I nodded, putting my hand on John's arm. "Dean and I, Dad we're married, we've been together for a long time now, and..."

"Married?"

"Yeah, Dad it's the year 2008..." I said and he reeled back, looking at me confused. "The reason you're here is because somehow, my desire to have you here transferred to that coin when Dean made his wish."

Dean straightened up and nodded. "Yeah Dad, truth is, you haven't been around for a while, we've been on our own for years."

"What?"

"Come on Dad, look at us, we don't exactly look twenty-one anymore!" Dean snapped and John hesitated, looked us over, his eyes trailing to the rings Dean and I were wearing.

"Married?" He asked, and I nodded at him, taking Dean's hand in my own.

"I'm a wish?" John said, frowning and shaking his head.

"Yeah Dad," Sam said. "We don't know how this works, but … you gotta relax, we need to come up with a solution to what is going on."

John shook his head and then ran a hand across his face. "I don't believe this," he muttered and Dean scowled.

"Yeah, well believe it, because _ you _are dead man, well at least, you were the last time we looked!" I grabbed his arm and shook my head. It didn't seem like now was the right time to push that.

John stormed out of the motel room and Sam stood there, staring at us. "Someone needs to go after him," Dean said, throwing his arm up in the air.

"Yeah, in a minute," Sam said. "He's not getting far without the car. Probably just going to hit up the bar across the road. Like father like son."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean asked.

"Dean, come on, man. You think I can't see it?" Sam asked and Dean frowned.

"See what?"

"The nightmares, the drinking. I'm with you guys 24/7. I know there's more going on than either of you are letting on," he said.

I shot Sam a warning glance. "Sam..."

"Uriel wasn't lying, but you two are," Sam said. "You remember Hell, don't you Dean?"

Dean grimaced, shaking his head and running his hand across tired eyes. "What do you want from me, huh? What?" He perched on the end of the bed, looking into Sam's eyes.

"The truth, Dean. I mean, I'm your brother. I just wish you guys would talk to me."

"Careful what you wish for," Dean said with a smirk.

"Cute," Sam said, shaking his head and looking down at his hands. Dean grinned, picking up the paper from the bed and smiled over at Sam.

"Come on, can we stow the couples therapy, huh? We're on a job. I want to work. What do you got?" He asked, watching our little brother as he stubbornly refused to talk. "Please?" Dean asked cutely and Sam rolled his eyes.

"We got teddy bear, uh, lottery guy, invisible pervert guy. They all must have wished sometime in the last two weeks. But who wished first, and how are we supposed to know who else wished for what when?" Sam asked.

Dean was looking at the paper and he chuckled, holding the paper out to me. "  
Well, it helps when they announce it in the paper. Goes back a month."

I took it and looked at the announcements page. "Wesley Mondale and Ms. Hope Lynn Casey have announced their surprise engagement."

"Ah, true love," Dean said with a grin.

I smiled. "Clearly much deeper than people who run off and get married at the drop of a hat," I grinned and Dean laughed, the smile actually reading his eyes.

Sam smirked and shook his head. "Well it's the best lead we got," he said.

"Yeah," Dean agreed with a nod. "Now...rock paper scissors, which one of us is gonna be unlucky enough to go after Dad?" Dean asked.

I raised my eyebrow, Dean always lost at this game, I didn't even know why we bothered.

* * *

_**Wesley Mondale's House**_

**Beth's POV**

I snickered, still shaking my head as I walked up the steps to Wesley's front door.

"I cannot _believe _ you actually won at paper rock scissors," I said incredulously.

"Hey, you think I can't play that game?" Dean asked, chuckling. "Please, I just give in to make you guys feel good half the time," he said, moving to grab me around the waist.

"Uh huh, is that right Mr Winchester?" I asked, leaning in to kiss him softly.

"Yep, that's right little Mrs," he said with another beaming smile. With a gentle pull on my hips, he captured my lips again and I moaned softly, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him close. I was breathless by the time we pulled away, thinking about all the other things I wanted to do to him.

I reached out and rang the bell by the door, and as it opened, Dean pulled away from me, shooting a smile at the pretty woman who came to the door. She was the same girl I'd seen all over the geeky looking guy in the restaurant a couple of times now.

"Hello?" She said. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, uh, you must be Hope," I said and she nodded, looking questioningly at me.

"That's right."

"Well, we're uh, we're from the florist, Wesley called us to come and talk about … wedding flowers," I offered, noting that her eyes lit up at the mention of a wedding.

Hope waved us into the living room where the geeky looking Wesley was sitting in a chair.

"Wes! You didn't tell me that you called the florists for the wedding!" Hope said excitedly as she led us forward, moving to kiss Wesley on the forehead. "You're the best! Mmmmm! Ah! I'm gonna go get my folders," she added, and walked out the side entry to a hallway leading to rooms beyond.

"Uh, o – okay..." Wes said hesitantly, watching as she walked out of the room.

"Wesley," Dean started. "How's it going?"

"It's... Wes..." The guy started to stand up and then stopped, sitting back down. "Aren't you from the health department?" He asked, recognising us from the restaurant.

"Yeah, and florists on the side," I said with a raised eyebrow.

"Plus FBI," Dean added, nodding. "And on Thursdays, we're teddy bear doctors." I fought back a snicker at that comment, my eyes meeting Dean's which were a shining green of mischievousness.

"Huh?" Wes said, confused.

"Doesn't matter who we are," Dean said sternly. "What matters is what we know." I nodded, looking around the house we found ourselves.

"So, coin collector, huh Wes?" I asked casually, looking at a series of coins hanging on the wall.

"Oh," Wes said, looking behind him at the wall. "Yeah. My...grandfather gave them to me."

"Did you happen to lose one of those coins lately?" Dean asked. "And by 'lose', I mean drop into a wishing well at Lucky Chain's and make a wish on it."

"No, I – I don't know what you're, uh, talking about," Wes declared.

Hope walked back into the room carrying a bunch of folders in her arms.

"Okay, now. I have a lot of ideas, but, you know, we don't have all the money in the world. Wes is between jobs right now," she smiled lovingly at the man who had risen to his feet, and then she flashed us a big smile. "Means more time for me!"

"You know, I'm thinking a Japanese-y ikebana kind of thing," she continued.

"Yes. I can see it," Dean said with a smile.

"Yeah," I commented, shaking my head. "So, Hope, uh, tell us how you two lovebirds met," I asked, eyeing off Wes and feeling a bit of anger rising that he'd used an enchanted item to cause someone to fall in love with them, she was clearly under the effects of that enchantment, smitten with the man.

"Oh, best day of my life," Hope declared with a smile.

"I bet," Dean said sarcastically.

"Yeah! It's the funniest thing. We both grew up here, but I never really knew who he was," she sighed softly, looking over at Wes. "Not by name anyway. Until one day last month, it was like I just..." she sighed again, reaching out to touch Wes's face. "I just saw him for the first time. He was just... glowing. Oh, just glowing." She leaned in and started to kiss him lightly on the lips over and over.

"Uh, babe, can you..." Wes looked at us warily as she kissed him in between words. "Can you get us some coffee?"

"Yes," Hope said, kissing him again. "Yeah." Another kiss.

"Oh, okay, okay. Mm-hmm. Okay." She continued to kiss him and Wes glanced at us in between each display of affection. "Oh. Mm-mmm, okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay," he said, finally pulling away and putting a little distance between them.

"Yeah," Hope said, fixing her hair and panting a little as she smiled at him. She smiled at us and walked out of the room toward the kitchen.

Urging the man to come clean, I said, "Wes, we know. So tell us the truth."

* * *

_**Audrey's House**_

**Sam's POV**

Dad hadn't been hard to catch, he wasn't trying to hide. I'd found him walking up the highway, frown firmly in place and downing a bottle of whiskey. I had a moment to shake my head and think, _like father like son _before pushing Dean's issues out of my mind for the moment.

"Dad!" I called out, pulling the car over to the curb and driving slowly alongside him. "Dad get in the car!"

He ignored me, scowling in my direction.

"Come on, Dad! I need your help," I said.

This stopped him and he took another swig out of the bottle before capping it and slipping it into his leather jacket and climbing into the car.

"What is it Sam?" He asked gruffly and I shrugged.

"I need your thoughts on this fountain, you know, how do we deal with this?" I asked, and he nodded for me to keep driving the way he'd been walking. After a few moments he had me pull up in front of the house where we'd found Audrey and the Teddy Bear.

"What are we doing?" I asked, keeping my eyes as he looked up at the house.

"Our job," he said, getting out and slamming the door. He stalked toward the house before I could stop him, drawing out a sawn-off shotgun from his jacket and entering the house.

"Dad! No! What are you...?" I ran after him, reaching the foot of the stairs as Dad moved up them toward the bedroom.

Without hesitation, Dad kicked open the door to the bedroom where we'd last seen the teddy and I came up behind Dad to see Teddy was still in there, eyes glued to the television. He swivelled his big black furry head to look at us as Dad entered and raised the shotgun.

"Wait!" Called out, but Dad fired, shooting the bear through the mouth. There was a moment of shock as stuffing blew out the back of his head all over the room and Dad and I stood there, panting in shock. I couldn't believe he'd just done that.

Suddenly a mewling sound came from the bear and he looked up to the sky, waving his hands around. "Whyyyyyyyyyyyy?!" He yelled, flailing his arms around. "Why?!" I grabbed Dad, pulling him toward the front door and as I turned around I saw a massive hole out the back of the bear's head, The bear began to sob as I pushed Dad toward the car.

"Are you nuts?!" I asked urgently, opening the door to the car and jerking him by the arm until he got in.

"I thought... I thought it would put him down." Dad said, a little stunned.

"Yeah, well, apparently not. What next Dad? You gonna go shoot the lotto winner's money? What were you thinking?"

I didn't receive a response, instead, putting the car into gear, I pulled away from the curb hoping Dean and Beth were having more luck.

* * *

_**Wes's House**_

Wes sighed, turning to the wall and taking a box down where there was a missing spot in the display.

"My - my grandfather found the coin in North Africa, you know, World War II. And, uh, he brought it back. He, um, he said it was a real wish-granting coin, but that nobody should ever use it." He turned back to us, looking down at the box in his hands. "Um... he was all I had, and when he died, I thought, 'Well, you know what? Why not give the coin a shot?'"

"Yeah," I said, feeling anger rising under the surface. "Well, now you're gonna wish it back."

"Oh," Wes said with a chuckle. "Oh. Ha ha, no, I'm not," he said, looking at us like we were crazy.

"If you don't stop it, something bad's gonna happen," I said to him and Dean nodded.

"Something bad, like us," he added, pulling his gun out of the waistband of his jeans.

"We really wish you'd come with us," I said to him with a smile, Wes swallowed hard, his eyes locked on to the gun.

Two minutes later we were in Wes' car, Dean was driving and I was in the passenger seat, gun sitting in my lap as Wes lamented his situation in the back.

"I don't get it. So, my wish came true. Why does that have to be a bad thing?" He asked, laying his head back on the seat.

"Because the wishes go south, Wes. Your town is going insane," I said.

"Come on. You're gonna sit there and tell me that your relationship with Hope is functional, that it's what you wished for?" Dean asked, his insight into what we'd just seen coming to the surface, he'd been paying attention to more than Hope's curvy hips and luscious smile.

"I wished she would love me more than anything," Wes said with a sigh.

"Yeah, and... uh, how is that going? That seem healthy to you?" I asked, even as I said it I felt a little odd, looking over at Dean and recalling what I'd been like while he was in Hell. I'd been ready to throw myself into the lion's den on more than one occasion to get to him, even considering suicide which for all intents and purposes should have landed me in Hell, right where I wanted to be. Those had been dark days indeed and even now they haunted me, reminding me just how dysfunctional I was, how dependent I was on Dean to be okay. I sighed quietly, and pushed it to the back of my mind – I had never claimed to be healthy in my love for Dean.

"Well it's a hell of a lot better than when she didn't know I was alive," Wes said, interrupting my thoughts.

"You're not supposed to get what you want, man, not like this. Nobody is," Dean said, glancing in the rearview mirror at Wes. "That's what the coin does. It takes your heart's desires and it twists it back on you. You heart of the whole, uh, 'be careful what you wish for'?"

"'Careful what you wish for,'" Wes said in a mocking voice, trying to imitate Dean. "You know who says that? Good-looking jerks like you guys, the ones who've got it so easy because you happen to be handsome or beautiful."

"Easy?" I said with a raised eyebrow, I wanted to laugh because nothing about my path with Dean had been easy in the beginning.

"Easy?" Dean echoed me, glancing at me.

"Yeah. Women – women look at you right? They notice you," Wes said to Dean and then glanced at me. "Men notice you, am I right?"

"Believe us, we don't have it easy," I said, going back to the original statement.

"We are miserable," Dean said, looking at me a little sadly. "We never get what we want. In fact, we have to fight tooth and nail just to keep whatever it is we got," he added, and I nodded, smiling over at him and resting my hand on his shoulder. I did have to admit to at least having something to fight for, which was more than poor Wed had before this wish.

"But you know what?" I asked, turning to Wes. "Maybe that's the whole point, Wes."

"Yeah, people are people cause they're miserable bastards, 'cause they never get what they really want," Dean agreed.

"Right, yeah, you get what you want, you get crazy," I said with a nod. Lord knew my getting what I wanted – Dean, safe and out of Hell – hadn't been without it's craziness. And there was the added bonus that somewhere our father was running around, revived from the dead.

"Take a look at Michael Jackson," Dean pointed out. "Or Hasslehoff." He raised his eyebrow at me and I grinned, not exactly convinced by our argument, but we were on a roll so what the hell.

"You know what?" Wes asked, looking at us. "Hope loves me now – completely. And it's awesome. Besides, look around. Where's all this uh, insanity you guys were talking about?" I had to admit, the world outside the car looked pretty calm and quiet. Dean shrugged and pulled the car into the main street.

I glanced out the window, seeing the kid from earlier who had been chasing the bullies, having turned the tables on them. He was circling an SUV like he was going in for the kill, and I could just make out the forms of three kids in the car, moving around urgently.

Without warning the boy tipped the SUV over on it's side.

"Well, that should cover it," I said with a nod, and the boy raised his arms in the air and started yelling.

"Kneel before Todd! Kneel before Todd!" The kid started to rock the car back and forth as the kids inside screamed in fear.

Dean unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car, looking back at me.

"I'll handle Todd, you get Wes to Lucky Chin's," he said. I hesitated, not for the first time since we'd been on these hunts and I'd had to go it alone. The last time I'd separated from Dean, four days ago on a hunt I'd ended up under the influence of a powerful supernatural being, and nearly killed myself.

"Beth, go!" Dean said, seeing me pause and I nodded.

"Right," I said, taking a deep breath. "Be careful."

I slip across the seat and put the car into gear, easing out from the curb and driving past the kids as Dean walked toward them on foot.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

I hadn't missed the momentary panic in Beth's eyes as I told her drive off, but there was nothing we could do, this kid was out of control and someone needed to step in while she took care of the job.

"Hey, kid! Can I talk to you a second?" I called out as I kept my body language casual.

"Get out of my way!" The boy said, starting in on me with an aggressive swagger and stare that would frighten the best of people, at least enough to get them to back down.

"Okay." I said, holding my hands up. "Hey, I can dig it, Todd. It – it's Todd right?" He nodded and I leaned down, placing my hands on my knees, bringing me back to his level a bit.

"Look, I – I know the score. Okay? They're – they're bullying you."

"Every day," Todd said with a nod. "Every day! You do not know what it's like!"

"No, no... I don't. But you know, you're you and I'm me, so..." I had no real answer to that, I'd never really been bullied.

"Couldn't stop them," Todd said, his voice lowering. "I couldn't do anything. Then Audrey Elmer told me the wishing well worked."

"Okay, okay. Look – look I get it. They're – they're mean little jerks, huh? But they're not superhuman like you," I said, thinking I had to talk this kid down before he did something he was going to regret. "You see, with great power comes great respon...ohhhh!"

I fell back hard as Todd didn't even wait to hear the rest of what he said. He'd upper cut me, sending me flying through the air and I landed hard in some garbage cans and trash bags, groaning. Damn. I had not seen that one coming. I looked around, kind of glad there hadn't been anyone else around to see that.

* * *

**Beth's POV**

I forced myself to keep driving even as Dean walked up toward the boy. Swallowing hard, I turned the corner slowed the car down to a crawl, moving but also trying to get my breathing under some sort of control, I realised belatedly that I might be having a panic attack, and now just wasn't the time.

"Are you okay?" Wes asked, and I glanced up, frowning slightly.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You guys aren't FBI are you?" He asked and our eyes locked in the mirror, I shook my head.

"No, he's my... he's my husband," I said.

"See this is what I'm saying, all the good looking jerks get..."

"Stop that!" I snapped, feeling a headache coming on. "You have no idea what we've been through, how much we've sacrificed to be..." I faltered, what was the point, he wasn't going to get it.

I sighed, looking back at him. "Look, a year ago I lost him, he was taken from me," I said and he frowned, looking at me.

"Taken?"

"Yeah... he had a … near death experience you might say, and was in a coma for a long time, and he's had issues ever since, but it doesn't change things. We're together, and yeah, you might think lucky bastard but the truth is, I didn't fall in love with his looks." I swallowed, shaking my head slowly and seeing that I had a captive audience, I continued.

"I fell in love with the way he looked after me when I broke down and couldn't get back up, I fell in love with the way he makes me laugh, and the little gestures of affection he gives me, I … I fell in love with his heart, Wes, not just the outside. And we've overcome a lot of obstacles to be together... _a lot_... years and years of obstacles. Believe me, Dean wasn't lying when he said our lives suck, and they're hard, our lives aren't easy, and that's the truth."

Wes looked thoughtful and I saw Lucky Chin's in front of us. Pulling up to the curb I noticed the open sign and breathed a sigh of relief, maybe we could get this all taken care of soon.

There was a commotion as the Impala roared into the curb in front of us and John got out arguing with Sam, they were in fine form, yelling and waving their arms in the air.

"You _shot _a teddy bear Dad! That's not normal!" Sam yelled and John threw his hands disgustedly in the air and walked toward me.

"Beth!" Sam said, hurrying to meet me. "Did you get him?"

I nodded at Wes who was getting out of the car.

"Things are getting bad," Sam said, glancing at John who was holding his gun in his hands and pacing up and down the storefront.

"They're not that bad," Wes said. "I mean yeah, that kid turned over that car, but those kids probably had it coming..." Sam looked questioningly at me and I shook my head.

"You don't wanna know."

"Yeah, well you should have seen the teddy bear," Sam said, reaching for Wes's arm. "Now come on, fun's over dude. Time to pull the coin."

Wes pulled his arm out of Sam's grip and shook his head. "Well why can't we just get what we want?!" He yelled.

"Because that's life, Wes," Sam said. There was a crack of thunder and a sizzling pop beside me and I turned in horror to see Sam fall to the ground.

"Sam!" I called out, falling to my knees beside my little brother, the realisation that a lightning bolt had just struck him down coming vaguely into my mind.

John let out an anguished cry and grabbed me to my feet, I felt a sickening thud as my back hit the wall of the building.

"I told you and Dean to look after him!" He yelled and I gasped for breath, winded from the blow.

"Dad! Stop it!" I said, my hands coming to his wrists as he pinned me to the wall, his eyes full of dark rage. From the corner of my eye I saw Wes go into the restaurant.

"Let me go Dad," I said firmly, looking at him. The fury behind his eyes was unmistakable, I'd seen it in Dean's eyes before when he'd been hallucinating from the ghost sickness. He was out of control.

"Dad..."

With a gasp for breath I felt his large hands circle around my throat and the air forced from my lungs as I fought against his stranglehold.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

"Hey, kid!" I yelled, getting to my feet. My face was burning and I was there was a metallic taste of blood in my mouth. "I didn't want to have to do this," I muttered as I approach the little guy. I lashed out with a fierce right hook and hit the kid in the face. 'Ohhhhh!" I groaned, he hadn't even moved, the kid was a rock!

Todd grinned at me, a madness in his eyes that I'd seen one too many times in Hell and I found myself sinking to my knees as he gripped my throat, laughing as he started to choke me. I brought my arms up like we'd been trained to do, getting them inside the chokehold and then smashing them out to the side. Nothing, his arms didn't budge, and I was starting to see stars flashing in front of my eyes.

* * *

**Beth's POV**

Any moment now I was going to black out if I didn't do something. I reached down deep inside me, and an image of Dean and I sitting down at the river on my 21st birthday flashed before my eyes. The pinks and purples hues of the sunrise, while he put his arm around me and pulled me close, we'd been happy, finally admitting our love for each other, and it had taken so long to get to that point.

The man strangling me now had denied us our affection for each other for so long, and it had nearly been the end of both of us at different points. The vision before me changed and I saw John embracing Cole in the gym, kissing her with a hot fervour that showed this was not the first time it had happened. I saw red, and with a screech of anger I lashed out, bringing my knee up between his legs, catching him square in the balls.

John stumbled slightly, his grip loosening and it was enough. I forced my arms up the centre of his and then out, just like Dean had taught me, and broke the chokehold. Grabbing his neck with my hands I repeated the knee to the groin, and he doubled over with a gasp of pain. Looking down I hesitated for just a moment and then I rammed it home, taking his head as he fell to his knees and smashing it into the wall, knocking him out.

"Sorry Dad, but you're a prick," I said, turning to see Sam's body sprawled across the pavement I choked back a sob. My ears were ringing, and I had the urge to vomit, but I needed to get to Wes, I needed to stop this.

Opening the door I found Wes and Hope standing near the fountain.

"I had to do it, didn't I? He was gonna make you wish away our love," she said to Wes and he looked surprised.

"You wished a man dead?" He asked.

"I love you more than anything," she said, grasping at his arms.

"Stop saying that. Stop it!" Wes snapped, and it was clear that all was not perfect with them, regardless of what he had said.

Hope's voice broke and tears started to run down her face as she said to Wes, "but I do! More than anything. More than me. More than life. Oh, Wes. Don't hate me!" Wes took her face in his hands and kissed her sweetly, pulling her into his arms and I stopped, waiting to see what he would do.

"It'll be okay. I'll make it okay. It's gonna be okay," he reassured here. I found myself praying for him to be a good man, to do the right thing. I understood his pain, I knew what it was like to do unimaginable things for love, but at the end of the day I had to believe that the right thing would win out.

I took a step forward as Wes pulled away from Hope and then with a glance back at me he nodded, reaching into the fountain and drawing out the enchanted coin.

"Hope," Wes said, looking at the woman who was now staring at him, confused.

"Do I know you?" She asked, frowning slightly, Wes sighed and looked at me and I felt a stab of sadness for him. Everyone deserved to be loved.

* * *

**Dean's POV**

With a sigh of relief I felt the boy's hands start to slacken and realised that she'd done it, Beth had gotten Wes to the restaurant and reversed the spell. _That's my girl _I thought with a sense of pride.

I broke the hold of the kid and shoved him back as the kids started to climb out of the overturned car, turning to look at Todd. I knew instantly what I had to do.

"Okay, follow my lead," I said to Todd. "You won't have a problem, come on."

I cowered back from Todd as the boys watched, putting my arms up in surrender.

"Okay, man, no more! No more, okay?!" I cried out, getting to my feet and backing away from Todd toward the boys. As I turned to them I gave them a frightened look. "I wouldn't mess with this kid any more if I were you," I said and they nodded, their eyes wide and scared.

"Stay back!" The boys called out to Todd, and then they ran off down the street. I turned and gave Todd a thumbs up and then started for the restaurant.

* * *

_**Next Day**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean's face was peaceful and relaxed as I walked up to him carrying a couple of coffees. He smiled when I reached him, and took the cup I offered him, leaning in to kiss the side of my neck.

"Thanks," he said softly and I nodded, leaning against the pier railing with my forearms and looking out over the shimmering water. If it wasn't so damn cold I'd consider going for a dip, that last image of Dean and I by the river on my 21st had stuck with me from yesterday, and I found myself smiling as I thought about that day and how we'd ended up in the river exploring each other's bodies for the first time.

Folding the paper he was reading in half, Dean tucked it under his arm and I caught sight of the headline where it read _Winning Lottery Ticket A Fake. _The town was back to normal, and I couldn't have been more relieved.

"What are you smiling about?" He asked, leaning against the railing with me, shoulder to shoulder and watching me with a lazy smile.

"You," I said, my smile brightening as I leaned over and placed a soft kiss against his lips.

"That good huh?" He asked and I nodded.

"You're my wish come true," I said shyly and he smiled that broad, happy grin that always lit up my heart. With a soft caress down my cheek, Dean brought his hand behind my head and pulled me in to him, his lips brushing back and forth against mine as he moaned softly.

"You're mine too," he whispered as he pulled away, and I swear my heart skipped a beat as he said it.

We turned to see Sam trudging along the pier toward us. His eyes locked on to a couple who were looking extremely sunburnt, walking slowly along the pier with a bit of a dazed look upon their faces. Audrey was with them, and I realised that they must be her parents. Audrey was cradling a teddy bear that was a miniature version of the one Sam told us John had shot during his mad moment. There was a band-aid stuck to the head of the bear, but mercifully, he was silent.

"Well, uh, coin's melted down," Sam said as he reached us. "It shouldn't cause any more problems."

Dean nodded. "Audrey's parents are back from Bali. Looks like all the wishes are gone." I nodded, thinking about that, and how it had been good to see John again, but like everything else, it had been too good to be true. "And so are we," Dean added, sliding his arm around my shoulders and starting to walk alongside Sam.

I felt him hesitate a few steps later and he looked over at our brother.

"Hand on a second," he said, stopping.

"What?" Sam asked, frowning at Dean.

Dean glanced at me and then looked over at Sam again, saying, "you were right."

"About what?"

"I shouldn't have lied to you. I do remember everything that happened to me in the Pit," Dean said, his hand trembling a little where it was on my shoulder. "Everything."

"Did you know?" Sam asked, looking at me and I nodded. He sucked in a breath like he was going to lecture me for holding out on him, but then thought twice.

"So tell me about it," he said, turning to Dean.

"No."

"Uh..." Sam seemed confused. Dean hadn't really even told me about it, I only knew from the dreams I'd had where I'd seen it.

"I won't lie anymore," Dean said. "But I'm not gonna talk about it."

"Dean, look, you can't just shoulder this thing alone. You got to let us help," Sam said and Dean nodded.

"How?" He asked, looking up at Sam. "Do you really think that a little heart-to-heart, some sharing and caring is gonna change anything? Hmmm? Somehow... heal me? I'm not talking about a bad day here," he said.

"I know that," Sam said softly.

"The things I saw... there aren't words. There is no forgetting. There's no making it better," he said, looking over at me. He sighed. "It's right here..." he said, tapping the side of his head. "Forever. You wouldn't understand. And I could never make you understand. So I am sorry."

Sam sucked in another breath, almost seeming angry that even while he was getting what he wanted, Dean's honesty, he didn't like that he wasn't allowed to help.

"Does Beth know?" Sam asked and I wanted to roll my eyes. Like this was some freaking competition or something.

"Some of it, not the worst of it," Dean said.

"So you can talk to ..."

"No." Dean said softly, cutting him off. "No, I haven't talked to her about it, I haven't told her anything. She only knows because she saw it Sam, while I was down there... she saw some of it through her dreams."

Sam paused to look at me. "You never told me."

"Yeah, I did Sam..." I said softly. "You didn't want to hear it."

His eyes saddened as he realised the truth of that statement. It had been during the bad period, when he'd sent me away because he was angry at me, blaming me for Dean being in Hell.

"I'm sorry," Sam said and I nodded.

"I know."

"Okay. All right," Sam nodded at us, thinking through what he said. "Well... whatever guys. Just know I'm here for you if you need me, okay? I want to help, anyway that I can."

"Yeah, thanks Sammy," Dean said with a smile, putting his hand on his shoulder. "It means a lot, but … right now, I just need to not think about it, as much as I can."

Sam nodded, tears in his eyes as he looked at our brother. Things would be okay, they had to be. Surely we'd come far enough that things couldn't get any worse, right? With that thought I felt a heaviness enter my chest and sit like a weight upon my heart. I knew as soon as I thought it that we were delusional, things were coming, big things, the Apocalypse, and we were only just getting started in that battle.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

* * *

Song for this chapter is _Call Me Maybe _by Carly Rae Jepsen. I just love the opening of the song, I thought it was pretty catchy and fit the episode, maybe not the whole song, but I guess if you look at it, it does fit Hope and Wes a little.

* * *

For those with an interest in John, Jefferson or Grace, there's a new chapter up over at _How To Save A Life _by EarthhAngel, which tells a little more of Grace's story. It's very sad! You also get a little peek into Jefferson's life a bit too. So go check it out and leave a review :) Big thanks to EA for telling a bit of Grace's story for me and allowing me to contribute when I could. :)

* * *

I'm still working away on San Antonio and the story there. It'll be posted soon-ish... I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It took me a while to get into it, but I did enjoy having Dean and Beth returning slowly to their old selves, or at least, pushing through the bad times together :)

* * *

Please leave a review :) You know I love them!


	15. Spinning In Circles (Sneak Peek)

_**Author's Notes**_

This is a stand-alone teaser to an upcoming original called _No Good Deed Goes Unpunished _ which will showcase an early relationship hunt for Dean and Beth a month after they get together. The whole story won't be completed for a while and I thought you might enjoy this little fun romantic piece.

* * *

_I'll never settle down,  
That's what I always thought  
Yeah, I was that kind of man,  
just ask anyone_

_I don't dance, But here I am  
Spinning you round and round in circles  
It ain't my style, but I don't care  
I'd do anything with you anywhere  
Yes, you got me in the palm of your hand  
Cause, I don't dance_

_Love's never come my way,_  
_I've never been this far_  
_Cause you took these two left feet_  
_And waltzed away with my heart_

* * *

**SPINNING IN CIRCLES**

* * *

**Dean's POV**

I smiled across at Beth, admiring the soft swell of her breasts in the dress she was wearing, and the way she'd piled her hair on top of her head, keeping her neck and shoulders bare, teasing me with their creamy softness: all I could think about was lavishing them with attention later on. I'd taken her on our first date two nights ago, and even though it had been a wonderful night, there had been a couple of hints from her about what she'd really like to do, something I rarely did. No, get your mind out of the gutter; I'm pretty sure she wasn't hinting at _that._

Not that I wouldn't be opposed to _that _either, but we'd been taking things slow. For a start Dad was with us pretty much the entire time, the rest of the time we'd been recovering from various injuries from poltergeists and water spirits trying to kill us. Trust me when I say that as much as you'd like to, broken ribs just kind of kill any kind of romantic notions you might have. Of course that hadn't stopped me from teasing her to a silent orgasm later that night, all the while Dad was asleep in the bed next to us, it was thrilling and an incredible torture at the same time, and my mind had definitely been on it ever since.

Regardless of how shit we were feeling, I wasn't about to let tonight pass us by, and yeah, all right so it was a little corny – especially for me, when I have a reputation to uphold - but you have to remember, I have been waiting a good five years for Beth to figure out that she could get over Dad's orders and act on her feelings for me. Now that she was, I wanted to keep it that way; I wanted to make her happy because seeing her smile was the best drug in the world.

"You ready?" I asked as she looked up at me from across the dinner table.

"What for?" She asked, confused.

"Your surprise," I said, tossing her one of my disarming Mr Charming smiles that I knew melted hearts of women everywhere I went.

"Surprise? What's the special occasion?" She asked, and I almost fell for it, but then I saw the slight twitch at the side of her eyebrow. She was bluffing; she wanted to hear me say it. I grinned, playing along.

"No reason, just want to spoil my girl," I said nonchalantly, shrugging and tossing her another smile. She almost looked disappointed, and I let it slide, she wouldn't be giving me that kind of look shortly enough. One thing about Beth, she was getting better with the poker face, but the student definitely hadn't surpassed the master yet.

I stood up, looking down at her long legs peeking out from a short skirt which I'd insisted she wear. She was in a red halter neck dress which was driving me insane. I loved Beth in red, and anything that showed as much skin as she was tonight was even better. Loosening the collar of my shirt a little, I tossed a couple hundred dollar bills on the table, and then taking her coat, I held it out for her to slip into.

Beth didn't wear dresses as a rule. Occasionally when we were undercover, or on holidays, but they weren't very conducive to hunting. I was finding that I wanted to make more and more excuses to change that. As she slipped into her leather jacket, it was lucky to hit her ass which meant her legs were completely exposed to the weather outside, which was cool, but not freezing.

We stepped out of the restaurant and I slipped my arm around Beth's waist and smiled down at her, thinking there wasn't a more beautiful woman in the world, and tonight I got her all to myself. There was a part of me in the back of my mind that was rolling its eyes at me and calling me names, but I shoved him way back where I didn't have to listen to it. I was happy, for once in my life.

Two blocks down we came to the club that a girl at the expensive dress shop had recommended when I'd been buying the red dress Beth was currently wearing.

"What's this?" Beth asked as I pushed us through to the front of the line. I'd already bribed the bouncer to let us in when we got there and he winked at me as he moved the rope blocking the door from the lines of people waiting to get in.

"You'll see," I said, pulling her through the door and into the club. The bottom level was the usual wild and crazy rave type club, the top floor was more a social area for people go and have some quiet time to talk and chat without the music blaring in your ears. The second floor, which is where we were going, was exactly what I had been looking for.

Checking our coats, and then taking the elevator, I lamented the fact that it was only going up one level, no time to play at all, and those milky white shoulders were driving me to distraction. I settled for trailing my fingers lightly along her right shoulder and then across the back of her neck, drawing a shiver out of her while I placed a single kiss against her left shoulder blade. She smiled and leaned back into me with a soft moan, wrapping her arm loosely around my waist. Oh yeah, this was going to be fun.

The doors to the lift opened and I took her left hand in my right, and pulled her into the club. Unlike the space downstairs where there was a mixed crowd of kids our age gyrating to a mix of upbeat techno and dance, this level was for the more romantic interlude. Lighting was low and soft, low lying tables surrounded by soft couches were positioned throughout the open area.

In the middle was a smattering of dining tables, and a kitchen set to the side where you could order food. I probably should have brought her here for dinner, but had wanted what came next to be a surprise, and you can't surprise someone if they're sitting and eating a meal right next to what you have planned.

A DJ was set up at the very back of a dance floor and Beth's eyes widened as she realised I was pulling her through the tables toward it. She stopped short, looking incredulously at me as we hit the edge of the dance floor.

"You okay?" I asked, looking at her and I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw the little raised eyebrow indicating she was loving it, but didn't believe where we were standing.

"Are you?" She asked and I chuckled, shaking my head a little. That was a fair question. For as long as she'd known me, Beth had never really seen me dance, only having gotten me up on the floor for our first dance on her 21st birthday, also the same day we'd finally confessed and acted upon our feelings for each other.

So I was probably setting her up for a big fall by going all out in the first month of us getting together, God knows I wasn't likely to keep this up, but I was keen to keep things moving along as well as they already had been: as uncool as it sounded, I'd been waiting a long time for this. Who knew, maybe I'd find that Beth was the one I wanted to keep on doing this for, dancing and all.

I smiled at her, holding my left hand out to her and she took it, flashing me a shy smile of her own as I guided her out into the already very crowded floor.

"Thought you didn't dance?" Beth said softly as I pulled her into my arms, sliding my right hand around her hip to the small of her back, resting it against the part where her dress stopped and her bare back was exposed.

"It's not really my thing," I said to her, leaning down to kiss her lips softly. "But you like it, and I want to give you whatever makes you happy."

Beth's eyes took on that chocolatey soft swirling look that I loved, and she smiled broadly. Now, I'm not really into this kind of music, but Beth is and admittedly, some of it is good to dance to. When _Savage Garden's _'I want you' came on, I grinned, not missing the look of surprise in her eyes as I pulled away, spinning her quickly until I had wrapped my arms around her waist, grinding my hips against her curvy ass and the soft red dress flowing around her creamy white thighs.

I felt myself getting hard just at the thought of taking that dress off her later tonight, we'd have to take it easy because I was already feeling the pinch on the ribs from the last few days, but then again, a first time together should be slow and easy anyway. My thoughts drifted as I danced, thinking about how long I had desired the woman in my arms.

She'd been just fifteen when she joined us, and by the time she was sixteen I had realised there was something special about her. By seventeen I was dreaming about her but unable to act because Dad had made us promise to never get involved; to treat each other as siblings and watch out for Sam about all else.

I'd wasted a lot of time screwing around with a lot of different women in the effort to get her out of my system, but it had always come back to the one thing; regardless of where we were and what we were doing, Beth was my best friend, my sister and the woman I was head over heels in love with. Looking at her now, how easily we fit into each other's' embrace, you'd think we'd been doing this for a long time, and in a way we had, but we could act on it now.

We danced for a good hour, and even I had to admit I was enjoying myself. I pulled away when the song I currently had Beth wrapped up in finished, nodding toward the bar.

"Let's get a drink," I said and she smiled.

"One more," she said with a pout and I rolled my eyes at her.

"We're coming back out here," I promised and she smiled, her eyes widening.

True to my word, we had a couple of drinks and it gave me the opportunity to explore her neck a little more, placing hot kisses along her skin. Beth moaned softly and rubbed her thigh against my groin. My cock was rock hard and pressing insistently against my trousers; once I might have skipped anything else and dragged her back to the motel room with me, but I was in no hurry tonight. There was no denying how amazing Beth looked in that dress, every man in this room had paused to look at least once. Knowing I was taking her home was the only thing keeping me from jumping her right now.

Beth was more than in a good mood, she was playful. She winked at me, skipping up to the DJ and having a quick conversation with him during which he nodded and she slipped him a twenty and placed a kiss on his cheek. I watched with a smile on my face, leaning casually on one of the taller tables, waiting to discover what she was up to.

"Hey handsome," a voice said from beside me and I turned to see a pretty little blonde had come up beside me and was eyeing me off. "Damn you look fine," she said, and I noted that a year or so ago I would have hit on her and then taken her back to the nearest motel, or her place, and taken my frustrations out on her all night long. Now though…

"Thanks, you're looking mighty fine yourself," I said to her. No point in giving her a blow to the ego, I wasn't lying.

Her eyes were sultry and full of lust as she looked down to my bulging crotch, licking her lips. "So, maybe I can show you some moves on the dance floor? Or you know, we could just get out of here and you could let me unwrap that package."

I smiled at her and then looked over at Beth who was still leaning over the DJ's table. I licked my lips and turned back to the woman next to me.

"Look, it's a very tempting offer, you are…damn fine, let me tell you… but I'm here with my girlfriend," I said, nodding toward Beth and it just sounded weird coming out of my mouth… girlfriend. I shook my head at myself a little, I was definitely getting soft. The blonde turned to survey the competition, taking in the red dress and how Beth's long legs tapered down to a pair of matching red heels, and her soft brown hair tied on top of her head in soft curls.

"Oh," she said, pausing. "Well… that's too bad, you don't know what you're missing out on." I nodded.

"I'm sure."

"Well if you change your mind…" she slipped a business card into my hand, winking and then turning on her heel to sashay away from me. Beth had finished up her discussions with the DJ and caught the last interaction between my would-be lover.

"Making friends?" Beth asked with a slightly cocked eyebrow.

"She wishes…" I said, holding up the card. "Told her I had a totally hot girl who I was going home with."

"Same," Beth said with a laugh, and to my surprise held up the DJ's business card. I looked over at the table and the guy was still eyeing off Beth in her dress: he saw me looking and made a gesture to indicate she was sizzling hot and then winked, giving me the thumbs up. I grinned, shaking my head.

"Hmmm, how many numbers do you think you could get tonight, if you were trying?" Beth asked, her eyes surveying the room we were in. "This room only."

I laughed and cast an appraising look around. This floor wasn't known for the pick-ups, it was downstairs that was supposed to take place, but as I eyeballed all the women, many of them were checking me out even as they sat at tables or danced with their partners.

I did have to admit, this blue shirt Beth had bought me a month ago left little to the imagination, it fit firmly across my broad chest, and tapered down around my hips, and the blue brought out my eyes according to her, which she loved. Topping the look off with a pair of black slacks, as opposed to jeans, and we made a very fine looking couple – not that the women watching us wanted to admit that.

"Oh I'm guessing a half dozen at least," I said with a grin. "You?"

"Eh, three or four," she said with a shrug, but she was being modest, I knew for a fact that she'd be able to get a lot more numbers than that – Beth just didn't like going on the prowl.

"I think you know you could get a lot more than that, sugarpie," I said, kissing her lips softly.

"Want to find out?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.

"What? Like a competition?" I questioned and she nodded with a cheeky little smile. I laughed, now this was a side to Beth I found intriguing.

"You never fail to amaze me," I said kissing her again, this time a little firmer. "But not tonight, I want to spend all my time with you."

"Good answer," she said with a smile, kissing her way down to my neck and sucking softly on the skin between my neck and shoulder. "Come on," she added, taking my hand in hers and pulling me toward the dance floor as the latest song drew to a close. She nodded over at the DJ who tossed her a smile, and when the next song came on she started to sway her hips suggestively in front of me.

The latest _Metallica _song _Until it sleeps _had come over the speakers, and I raised my eyebrow at her. Here was a woman who knew what I liked. Beth giggled and ran her hands down her side, stroking along her breasts and over her hips, her eyes closing softly as she moved to the beat. I groaned just watching her. She prowled around me, her eyes dark and seductive as she trailed a hand over my chest and down my back.

I reached up and pulled on her hair, releasing it from the clips holding it up and she shook her head, her rich brown locks falling in waves around her face as she giggled and circled back around behind me.

Her pelvis ground into my ass as her hands slid under my arms, running up my chest and teasing my left nipple through the fabric of my shirt. I leaned back into her, letting her support my weight as she breathed into my ear, sighing softly with pleasure.

The cheeky side to Beth started coming out as to my surprise she shimmied down my back, bending her knees and running her hands down the backs of my thighs and over my knees. She reached up, stroking along my inner thigh and I groaned, my sounds covered by the music as she brushed against my already burgeoning erection.

Turning, I pulled her up by her shoulders and kissed her, pulling her in tightly to me.

"Don't tease…" I warned her and she chuckled.

"I'm just dancing…" she said with a grin.

"Yeah, sure you are," I grinned and that earned a little laugh from her perfect pouty lips.

Beth giggled again and pulled away further on to the dance floor, looked at me with eyes full of fun and desire. She raised her arms above her head, swinging her hips in circles against as she ran her hands through her hair, flipping it up and over her shoulders ago. I licked my lips, watching as she spun in a couple of circles to the beat, the red dress flipping up to reveal soft white thighs.

I slid in behind her and gripped her hips, pressing my groin to her ass again and grinding against her, kissing her shoulder and neck as she moaned softly. Her arms came back to hold my neck and I sighed with pleasure as her hands ran through my hair. She turned her head to the side and smiled, I quickly caught her lips with my mouth, sliding my tongue in to meet hers in a lingering kiss.

The beat to the music slowed and I held her tight, kissing and nibbling on her lip as she sighed softly into my mouth, dropping her arms to hold them against mine which were wrapped tightly around her waist.

When the song finished she took my hand and started to pull me toward the edge of the dance floor, but the slow, romantic tones of one of the cheesiest damn songs in the world came over the speakers in stark contrast to the heavy rock that had been Beth's request. I stopped, tugging on her hand and she looked at me confused.

I hooked my finger in the air, gesturing for her to come back to me and she smiled taking a couple of steps toward me.

_I love the way you look tonight, with your hair hangin' down on your shoulders…._ Man this was the silliest romantic song to come out in the history of music, and here I was looking at Beth and thinking, _damn, this guy has it right. _

Beth looked a little nervously at me and I slipped my arms around her, leaning down to plant a soft kiss into her neck as I pulled her into my body. She wrapped her arms around my neck and I sighed softly, holding her as I moved us to the music.

"_Let's make a night…to remember…January… to December…" _I crooned the words into her ear softly and felt her shiver a little in my arms.

I thought about that empty motel room waiting for us, and how good she felt in my arms right now and fought with myself not to drag her back there right now. Beth was humming to the song and it caused me to smile, she was a hopeless romantic at the end of the day and I knew she was soaking this up.

I couldn't remember the last time I felt so good, relaxing and enjoying the moment. I knew it was everything to do with having her with me, finally after all these years, and not having to continue with the stalemate we had inevitably found ourselves in repeatedly. When we'd been much younger I'd managed to get through it with a string of girls and the numbing company of JD. In the last year when I'd realised she felt the exact same way I did, I'd pushed her a little harder, trying to take it to the next level. But she would also come back to Dad's rules and it had been devastating for both of us.

Taking Beth's face in my hands I kissed her again. Her lips were soft and giving, parting to welcome my tongue and I quickly seized the invitation, licking along her upper lip before darting in to meet her own. Beth let out a soft little moan, almost a whimper as I teased her with light caresses and licks. That moan was the best sound in the world and I deepened the kiss, sliding my hands up through her soft hair to hold her head still.

We'd stopped moving other than swaying slightly side to side and I became aware that people were staring as I ravished her mouth. Beth's hands were holding on to my waist and I could feel her trembling softly with desire. Pulling back I threw her my best charming smile and then nodded toward the exit.

"Let's get out of here," I said breathlessly and she nodded, as if not trusting herself to speak.

The trip back to the motel took all of ten minutes and by the time we hit the door I was wondering just how I was going to slow things down because the only thing I could think about was getting her undressed and in our bed.

Beth struggled with the key to the door as I stood behind her, peppering the back of her neck with little kisses and nips, my hands sliding up along her thighs and hiking her dress up, my hands caressing her skin as I ground my hips into her ass.

"God Dean, at least let us get inside," Beth laughed as she finally got the key in the lock and opened the door. In answer, I pushed her forward and she stumbled forward with a little shriek as I kicked the door shut. She would have fallen, but I caught her around the waist again, pulling her back into me, my arms wrapping tightly around her under her breasts. She turned her head to look at me and I kissed her hard, moaning at how good she felt.

Spinning her to face me while not breaking the kiss, I ran my hands along her bare arms, her muscles tensed under my touch and not for the first time did I marvel at how she looked so soft and feminine, but underneath it all was a toned fighting machine from years of training.

Beth broke the kiss and started to unbutton my shirt, her fingers unsteady as she focused her attention solely on what she was doing. She was nervous. I licked my lips and felt a little thrill go through me at that thought, at the same time there wasn't a thing I wouldn't do to make her feel more at ease.

My breathing started to pick up as she worked her way down the shirt, flicking the buttons apart one at a time and as she reached the last button I swallowed, taking a long deep breath. The feel of her hands on my stomach was electric as she trailed her fingers lightly across my abs and then with a firmer touch, slid them up my chest to my shoulders, pushing the shirt back and letting it drop to the floor.

I had closed my eyes, taking in the whole sensory feeling of those touches but now I looked at her, starting to feel just as nervous as she was. Nervous? Since when did I have any issue with performing in the bedroom? It wasn't that, I told myself, it was that I suspected she'd never done this before and that made me excited but incredibly apprehensive at the same time.

My cock twitched at the thought of what was going to happen and I took her face in my hands, kissing her softly on the forehead then each eye, finally placing a chaste kiss on her lips.

"You're beautiful," I whispered and she smiled in response with that shy, modest little twitch of her lips.

"So are you," she said, and with a more determined look in her eyes she pulled me down to her, claiming my mouth with her own. Our lips brushed against each other and elicited another small moan from the one woman I had never been able to get with a simple wink and smile.

I reached up behind Beth's neck, untying the strap that was holding up her dress, and letting it fall to the floor. She wasn't wearing a bra and I groaned, looking down as I saw her struggling not to cover up her firm, perfect breasts. With a sharp intake of breath I slid my palms down her sides, my thumbs brushing lightly across the tops of her breasts and then over her erect nipples. She gasped with pleasure, moaning into my kiss and pressing herself against me.

Leaning down I drew her left nipple into my mouth, flicking my tongue across it and revelled in the groan I got in response. Beth tangled her hands in my hair, pulling my face closer and I pushed her back toward the bed, holding her around the waist as I sucked and nibbled on her breast.

As we hit the bed, she slid back against the pillow and pulled the sheet over her, smiling back at me. I stood at the end of the bed with a smirk on my face, shaking my head at her modesty even in the heat of the moment. My amusement soon disappeared as she raised her knees up and then lay back a little, sliding her red lace panties off and tossing them at me. They caught me square in the face and I could smell the desire there, my already rock hard cock twitched again.

"Tease," I said with a grin and she pulled the sheet up under her armpits, shaking her head with a smile.

I yanked my pants to the floor, leaving the boxers on for now, and came around the side of the bed, slipping under the sheet and sliding in next to her. My lips found the crook in her neck immediately and I started kissing the soft skin there as she slid her naked body against mine, her thigh pressing between my legs and rubbing against my arousal.

With a moan, I rolled Beth on to her back and positioned myself between her knees. I trailed my eyes down along her body, she was breathing faster and looking up at me with cautious but completely trusting eyes. I leaned down to kiss her again, my boxers rubbing against her groin and I moaned when I felt, even through the fabric I had on, how wet she was.

She raised her hips up to grind against mine and I groaned again, kissing her as we rubbed against each other, hands and legs tangled around each other, holding the other close.

"You in a hurry or something?" I teased and she laughed softly, shaking her head.

"Good." I said softly. I planned on taking my time, all night long.

Beth let out a long, shuddering sigh of contentment, closing her eyes for a moment and then ran her hands up over my shoulders, stroking along my neck. She smiled cheekily at me and I held my breath as her hand trailed down my chest and then started to rub against my erection.

"God…." I moaned, involuntarily bucking again her touch. "Oh yeah that's nice."

"Yeah?" She asked, and I looked down at her as she slipped her hand into my boxers and grasped my head, stroking along the tip and then down the shaft.

"Oh yeah, really…really nice." I moaned again, struggling to not thrust into her hand and to just let her take control.

I sunk down beside her as she continued to stroke me, and with an almost urgent touch which I was trying to push back, I slid my left hand between her legs, finding that tight little nub and circling it slowly. Beth gasped, pausing for a split second before regaining her senses and resuming the stroking she had been doing, only this time it was a little firmer, as slow and delicious as I was doing to her.

Beth's legs trembled a little and I eased off, sliding my fingers down through her folds to her hot and willing centre, slipping a finger inside. Beth gasped again, arching up to meet me and buried her face into my shoulder, biting down softly as she moaned.

"Oh Dean…" She whispered and I smiled. We were so used to having to be quiet with any affection, she almost seemed nervous to say anything out loud. I thought back to two nights ago when I'd brought her to orgasm while Dad was asleep in the bed over and remembered how quiet she'd managed to keep things, I was amazed, but then Beth didn't strike me as a screamer.

Her grip on me slackened and I reached down to pull her hand away, sliding her arm around my waist as I continued up along her body, pausing to brush the hair out of her eyes.

I stared down at her, unable to form words to tell her how I felt right now. I was so elated to have her in my arms. I'd never told anyone how I felt before, it was hard enough getting _I love you _out the couple of times I had said it to Beth, but my heart was beating so hard she had to feel it through my chest. I swallowed, looking down at her and smiling.

She smiled back and then leaned up to catch my lips with her own, kissing me again and drawing out a moan. I started to kiss her a little harder, my tongue swirling around her mouth as I sought to learn every little part of her. I was just starting to trail my hand down over her stomach again when I heard the click in the lock and froze.

Without further warning the door swung open and I pulled the sheet up over us, rolling for the side of the bed and the gun I knew was under my pillow.

"Dad?" Beth asked suddenly and I froze, cursing under my breath. Seriously?

"Hey Bethie, hey Dean," Dad said with slurred speech, tottering in the doorway.

"Dad?" I asked, shaking my head and turning on the bed. "Aren't you supposed to be with Caleb?" I said, giving him a stern look which he completely missed.

"Huh?" Dad said, and I watched as he took a few steps to sit down on the other bed, looking up at us all bleary eyed. "Oh yeah, well… we kind of got into an argument."

"What else is new?" I muttered and I sighed, rubbing my face with my hand and looking down at Beth who had the sheet pulled up over her entire body and tucked under her chin, she looked so damn cute, I cursed again at Dad's impeccable timing.

"Dude, what the hell? Have you been drinking?" I asked shortly, feeling with some confusion, not to mention frustration that even with Dad in the damn room, I was pressed up against a hot, naked body and _little Dean _hadn't caught up to the fact that fun time was over.

"A little," Dad said with a nod and I paused, normally he would have cursed me out and told me to mind my own business. Something wasn't right with him, and Beth sensed it too.

"What's wrong?" Beth asked. She looked at me and then over at the red dress and panties scattered across the floor, not to mention her shoes which I was amazed Dad hadn't tripped over on his way to the bed. He hadn't even noticed, he was completely oblivious to the position we'd been in and our current state of undress.

"Oh nothing,' Dad said with a heavy sigh and I rolled my eyes. Freaking emo, just like Sam.

"Yeah, right," I said, rolling on to my back with a sigh.

Dad took a look at us, his eyes suddenly taking in the fact that the TV was off and I was only half dressed.

"Did I interrupt something?" He asked, his eyebrow raising up to look at me. I rolled my eyes at him, tossing the sheet back and getting to my feet now that other extremities weren't standing at attention. I was suddenly glad that we hadn't gotten to the _undressing Dean_ part because it looked less obvious as I climbed out of bed still in my boxers, acting like I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Yeah, it's called _sleep. _Maybe you should try it," I snapped.

I crossed over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water, making my way back to the bed and handing it to Beth. As I'd walked past her dress and panties on my way to the fridge, I'd kicked them to the edge of the bed and on my way back I nudged them under and out of sight. I started to rummage through Beth's duffel and came out with one of my t-shirts, shaking my head at the little stash that she had of my clothing.

"Sleep?" Dad asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, it is after midnight," I pointed out. I sighed playfully at Beth and rolling my eyes I walked back to the bed and slipped the t-shirt under the sheet to her.

Dad had dropped his head down into his hands so she took the opportunity to pull the t-shirt over her head, letting the sheet fall back into her lap.

"I got a call from Cole," Dad said finally, and I rolled my eyes. Yeah, right, Cole. Maybe it was just me but those two seemed to have gotten really chummy lately, Beth was remaining tight lipped about it though so I wasn't pushing – I guess both Dad and Cole were on the outs with Bobby right now, so maybe they were bitching to each other about it, trying to figure out what to do.

"What did she say?" Beth asked, leaning toward Dad now that she had some clothes on up top.

"Sam's off to Stanford tomorrow," Dad said and a little sob left his mouth. _Oh for Christ's sake! Seriously? _

"You're joking, right?" I asked shortly, feeling the frustration mount in me.

"What?" Dad asked.

"Dean!" Beth snapped and I frowned at her.

"What?" I asked. "You told him to go, he went. He's made his choice. Good riddance." Dad grumbled, and I wasn't really convinced by what I'd just said, Beth and I had agreed to disagree on this one. She felt it was good that he was going away to college, to get away from the hunting. Her and I on the other hand, we were here, stuck with Dad, we didn't get a choice; we never had.

"He should be here with us, I should never have pushed him away," Dad said.

"Dad, Sam was always going to do what he wanted, you can't change that," Beth said softly.

Dad nodded, but continued to look sadly down at his hands. Beth climbed out of bed, careful not to flash him as she pulled the t-shirt down over her thighs. She sat down beside him on the bed and sighed softly, her eyes full of compassion. I was, understandably, feeling a lot less compassionate.

"Sam will be just fine, this will be good for him," Beth said. I rolled my eyes because not even a month ago Dad had been on my side with this one. Something had changed, and I had no idea what. Sam was a spoiled rotten child who everyone pandered to, it occurred to me that maybe Beth was right on one thing – maybe Sam would grow up a little without us to constantly bail him out.

Dad hadn't answered Beth, and I could see him falling into that silent angry stupor that happened when he had consumed more than he should. With gentle hands Beth lay him back on the bed, pulling off his boots and then pulling the covers up over him.

"Get some sleep Dad, you'll feel better in the morning," she said softly and he nodded, rolling over on his side.

I sighed and our eyes locked as she turned back toward our bed.

"Story of our life," I muttered, shaking my head and fighting back the disappointment of yet again Dad ruining something that was important to us. I smiled as she walked around the bed to me, slipping her arms around my waist.

"Raincheck?" She asked softly and I nodded silently, letting her see through my eyes just how much I needed and wanted her. The corner of her mouth twitched up in a sad little smile as she stared up at me.

Dad groaned and rolled back to the centre of his bed before reaching out to grab the remote to the TV from the nightstand between the two beds. He clicked it on and the stark white light lit up the room. I shook my head again, yep, long night indeed, just not the type I had planned.

"I'm gonna grab a shower," I said, kissing Beth on the cheek. She nodded and turned back to the bed, climbing across to her side. I caught a glimpse of her perfect white ass peeking out from under the t-shirt and almost groaned, oh this was torture. Crossing back to her duffel I rummaged around again and when Dad wasn't looking I pulled out a pair of plain white cotton panties, moving back to the bed and slipping them to her.

"You might need these," I said softly, kissing her again and she raised an eyebrow at me, I thought about cuddling up to her, my cock pressed in against her ass, completely bare and felt myself harden.

"Actually… there is no might, you really_ really_ need to put these on," I said with a chuckle and rolled my eyes as Dad burst into laughter at some joke being told on the screen. _Saturday Night Live, _I shook my head. This so wasn't cool.

"Do you have to shower?" Beth asked and I shrugged. I suppose I didn't, but I didn't know how I was going to last tucked into that bed with her without first taking a long cold shower. I decided to tease myself a little longer and slipped back into bed beside her. She rolled on to her side and I slipped my arm around her waist, kissing the back of her neck as we turned to watch the TV.

"Hmmmm, well…. Happy one month anniversary," I said softly into her ear so Dad couldn't overhear. She turned to look at me surprised.

"You remembered?"

"Of course I remembered," I said with a grin, kissing her softly as I saw her eyes get all watery. "You made me the happiest man alive a month ago."

Beth smiled and turned so she could slide her arm under my shoulder, wrapping her other arm around my waist.

"Wasn't really what I had planned," I said in the same quiet tone.

"Well that much is obvious," Beth commented with a small giggle as I started getting hard again just from being pressed against her.

"This is driving me crazy," I said with a sigh. "Sorry baby."

"It's okay," Beth replied. "I had a wonderful time tonight Dean, and any night that finishes with me in your arms is a good one."

"Mmmm, can't fault you that one," I said with a smile, kissing her again.

She yawned and shook her head, looking over at Dad who was still chuckling away at the television. The man had incredibly lousy timing, but I wasn't going to bitch him out, if he figured out what we'd been up to in here we'd never hear the end of it, and Beth would be mortified. Best to just take it in stride, surely we'd get an opportunity to take things further soon enough, until then we could delight in the comfort of each other's arms.

I snuggled in beside her as she rested her head on my chest and we tuned in to the TV show, laughing at some of the antics. I had to admit, even given the disappointment of what had just happened, Beth was right, the best part was just having her in my arms and not having to hide it, everything else was just icing.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

* * *

The song for this chapter is _I Don't Dance _by Lee Brice, suggested by CD96. I loved it as soon as I heard it and instantly thought, awwwwww, I can see Dean and Beth dancing to this. Unfortunately it wasn't released during the timeframe of this piece, so they're not dancing to it in the story; however, this is what inspired this whole teaser.

If you have a song you would like me to do a one-piece to, please suggest away, I love a challenge. Can't make any promises, but always fun to do what I can.

* * *

At the risk of sounding like a cry baby….I'm also wondering where everyone is at with the series and current storyline. Are you enjoying it? Are you not? If not, why not? Would you prefer to see more originals? Or continue on with the series only? When I write little one-shot things like this do you want me to post them right away?

Feedback is really important and valued from you all, because without it I tend to start thinking that no one is enjoying what I'm doing and that it's gone to shit. If it's gone to shit then I'm not sure why I'm continuing… on a free site like this feedback is my 'payment' and encouragement so please let me know what you're thinking, it really does keep me focused and happy hearted. And a happy writer is an inspired writer!

Updates have been a little slow because I've been working in partnership with my dear friend and sister on a publication as well, which has tied up a lot of my spare time, and we're in the final couple of hours countdown to getting the book printed for a major event where we are presenting the weekend after next. I'll also be moving (finally!) back into my own place the first week of April so all things considered, I should HOPEFULLY be back to faster updates after that.

So please keep in mind that fanfic takes a big part of my very limited spare time (often foregoing sleep in order to write) as a single working parent and so I'm gonna put out a shameless plug and say send me the love, it keeps me focused and wanting to continue xoxo


	16. I Know What You Did Last Summer

_I've spent so many nights wonderin' when will it end  
When will the day come when happiness begins  
I'm running the race but it seems too hard to win  
I'm sick of mourning my stomach is throwing up in the morning_

_I'm calling for help and watching it melt away_  
_My heart's been put on display and put away_  
_In many ways, many times I told myself it was ok_  
_And anger was the price that was paid_  
_While these faded dreams just screamed to bring them home_

_The burden was too heavy I kept running from the throne  
I can't take it any longer  
I can taste my spirit hunger  
God please help me get home_

_Lord though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death  
I'm not scared cause You're holding my breath  
I only fear that I don't have enough time left  
To tell the world that there's no time left, Lord please_

* * *

**I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER**

* * *

_**Beth's POV**_

Something had called me into the space beyond and I found myself wandering in the woods by the light of a full moon, trailing through trees and over fallen logs. I moved silently, careful of my footing that I didn't break any twigs or bring attention to myself. I didn't know why I did this, but there was a sense of trepidation and the need to be hidden as I moved.

"She's been found," sounded a voice in the darkness and I froze, every cell in my body fighting not to flee as soon as I heard him.

"Are you sure?" Castiel asked and I started to breathe again, thinking it would be all right, I trusted Cas not to harm me.

"Yes," was the answer and I frowned, thinking I knew that voice. Inching forward I reached a row of low bushes and crouched behind them, peering out into a clearing beyond. Castiel was standing in the centre with his cream coloured trench coat stark against the dark background. His companion was less noticeable. His black skin was almost as dark as his suit, and he seemed to float in the shadows, as if only a part of this reality. Uriel.

Biting my lip I considered my options, should I expose myself and reveal my position? Surely I was here at Cas's request, I rarely met with him on the dream plane without him initiating it. Yet, I hadn't run into Uriel in a month since he'd threatened Sam, and I didn't particularly want to speak with him now.

I made to stand up when a hand clamped down on my shoulder, holding me in place. I struggled and another hand covered my mouth, lips pressing to my ear.

"Shhhhh," my captor whispered and I forced myself to relax a little.

"Are you calm?" He asked, waiting for me to nod before releasing his hold on my mouth. I turned in the dark to see deep blue eyes, so dark they were almost black looking back at me from under a mess of spiky black hair. I raised my eyebrow at the visage of Ezekiel as he winked, and then nodded at them, placing a finger over his lips in a gesture to stay silent.

"There are demons going after her now," Uriel stated as I listened in on the conversation.

"We must get to her first," Cas said and I frowned, he seemed upset, as much as he could be given that angels didn't really show emotion.

"Set your dogs on her," Uriel said with a sneer. "They seem to like coming to your beck and call."

"Don't talk about the Winchesters that way, you know better," Cas said.

"I know nothing of the sort," Uriel said. "I am not convinced, as the rest of you are, as to the need to keep them alive."

"Well that's not your decision to make, Uriel." Cas pointed out and I was glad he was on our side with this one.

"No, it's not, or they'd already be dead," Uriel said with a smirk.

Cas regarded him with the same stoic facial expression he usually had. Regardless of whether he was happy, angry, sad, worried or anything else he appeared apathetic to the world in general.

"I will send someone to be certain," Cas said and Uriel nodded.

"Keep me posted."

With a nod from Cas they both disappeared and I stood up with a frown.

"What was that all about?" I asked, turning to Ezekiel.

"Much is happening in Heaven right now, too much. You remember how I thought there were spies within the angel garrison when the Temple was attacked?" He looked at me intently, speaking softly, almost a whisper.

"Yes."

"There are rumours that demons have been possessing angel vessels and using their connection to the angels to listen in on battle plans," Ezekiel said and I started to feel sick to my stomach.

"Can they do that?"

"Yes, it's not perfect, and as soon as the angelic line becomes aware of the link it can be severed so that they can't eavesdrop. Then there's the trouble of them finding a vessel. Not everyone carries a vessel bloodline. It's easy for us to find compatible matches because we are linked – a demon would have to chance upon it, not an easy feat." Ezekiel was stroking his chin with his hand as he spoke, looking at but also through me, as if recalling a memory long past.

"So who are they looking for?" I asked. "Another vessel?"

"Oh no, someone much more important," Ezekiel said with a grin, not elaborating.

"And what does this have to do with me?" I asked, crossing my arms and giving him the once-over. "Why am I here?"

"I called you," Ezekiel answered and I frowned, he'd never done that before – usually it was only Cas. "I knew once the call was activated you would gravitate naturally toward Castiel because you've been seeing him more, and I just came along for the ride."

"You wanted to spy on him?" I asked.

Ezekiel nodded, his dark locks falling across his forehead as he reached out impatiently to brush them away. "He got called away from the garrison and I wasn't told why. Now is not the time to have one of my best soldiers pulled from the line, I wanted to know why."

"And did you get your answer?"

"Partly. You're going to have to go back Beth, and keep your ear to the ground. They're looking for a girl who has recently awakened to her true nature. Castiel may come to you with information, listen to him, and if things get really rough, call me." Ezekiel said, and before I could argue he placed two fingers to my forehead and I felt my stomach lurch and my vision go black.

I gasped as I sat up in bed, clutching at my stomach and wanting to dry heave. I sat panting in the middle of the mattress, hands buried in the covers which were hiked up around me. I was hot and sticky, and when the cool air hit my mostly exposed skin, it sent shivers across my body. My shorts and tank top were both drenched in sweat from whatever reaction I'd been having to the dream.

Looking around the room I noticed that I was alone. Frowning, I reached for my phone and hit speed dial for Dean. Putting the phone to my ear, I checked out the dark motel room, it didn't appear like he'd left a note.

The sounds of a crowded bar echoed in the background as Dean answered the phone.

"_Hey baby," _he said with a smile in his voice. "_You just wake up?"_

"Yeah, why did you leave me?" I cringed as the words seemed more like the whiney sounds of a little girl who had just been abandoned by her father than a wife checking in with her husband.

"_Awww, you were so tired, I didn't want to wake you but we were going stir crazy and had to get out." _I smiled at the concern in his voice.

"_Believe me, I'd much rather have you here," _he added with a tone that made my heart skip a beat.

"Where are you guys?"

"_Just down on the corner at _The Pig's Belly_ playing some pool and having a few drinks. Why don't you come join us?" _

"Okay, I just need to shower first," I said, wanting to wash away the after effects of the dream from my skin.

"_Mmmm, maybe I should come back and join you," _Dean suggested and I laughed at his ever incorrigible nature.

"That would be nice," I said with a smile. "But I won't be long; you can show me how much you missed me when I get there."

"_Don't be long," _Dean said with a moan and I grinned, hanging up the phone. I climbed out of bed, stripping my clothes off and heading for the shower. Turning my thoughts toward Ezekiel and the strange conversation we'd overheard Cas and Uriel having, I wondered what was going on in Heaven to warrant all this attention on one girl.

* * *

_**The Pig's Belly**_

**Dean's POV**

Beth hung up on me with a chuckle and I smiled, it was always good to hear her laugh, and that had been happening a lot more lately. I was relieved.

My thoughts turned to Beth alone in the shower, soaping up and standing under that hot… pulsing… massaging water, and I felt my body instantly react. I forced myself to think about other things before I got an embarrassing erection in the middle of the bar. Turning around I waved over the bartender and placed my order for a beer and a couple shots of tequila to start with.

Leaning back, I surveyed the room and watched as Sam continued to con a guy out of his money. He was pretty convincing with the drunk routine, kind of made me wonder what else he'd said or done while I'd been in Hell. Downing my second tequila, I picked up my beer and wandered a little closer to the pool table. Sam was speaking to the guy he was playing.

"Brian, come on man, just one more. Just – just give me a chance to win it back." Sam was leaning heavily on the pool table, using it for balance.

Brian was a tall, tough looking guy with broad shoulders and a shaved head. He looked like he could hold his own in a fight, but I wasn't too worried about that, so could I. There was also the ace up my sleeve: Sam wasn't really drunk, and could more than hold his own. Not that Brian knew that.

"It's your cash," Brian said with a shrug, smirking at how easy he thought this game was going to be. That was my cue: I walked up to the pool table, putting a worried frown on my face. This was a lot more fun when it was Beth playing the worried wife over me, but playing sober big brother was amusing too.

"Excuse me," I said, stepping up to the pool table. "My brother's a little sauced to be making bets."

"He insisted," Brian said, looking over at me as he racked the balls.

"Yeah, but you've already taken, what, two bills off him?" I asked sceptically. "I'm just saying."

"Hey, shut up Dean. I'm fine!" Sam said forcefully.

"No, you're not fine. You're drunk!"

Sam ignored my comment and looked at Brian. "Let's make it five hundred." He pulled a roll of money out of his pocket and waved it around in the air.

"Five hundred?!" I spluttered.

"Sure," Brian agreed, you couldn't have wiped the smile off his face if you tried – of course, that was about to change. Sam put the money down on the edge of the table.

"Five hundred. Your break." Brian said to Sam.

I looked up at Sam as Brian finished setting up the balls and he raised his eyebrow at me. This was too easy; the guy had fallen for the act, hook line and sinker. Sam lined up his shot and sent the ball spinning down the table, scattering the balls across the green and pocketing at least three balls at once.

I glanced over at Brian who was staring at the table with a frown. He looked up at me and I could see it instantly in his eyes, he knew he'd been hustled, now was going to be the test as to how much of a man….

"Keep the money," Sam said, interrupting my thoughts and laying his cue down on the table.

"Keep the money?" I exclaimed. "What…" I found myself on the back foot this time, struggling to keep up with the new act. Sam walked past me like a man on a mission and I turned to see what had caught his attention, cursing under my breath at the sight of the brunette sitting at the bar. Ruby.

I stalked after Sam, who had reached her and was making nice talk.

"Well, you got a lot of nerve showing up anywhere near me," I said in an angry tone and she rolled her eyes at me.

"I just have some info, and then I'm gone," she said.

"What is it?" Sam asked, leaning in to her and watching her intently. I narrowed my eyes, starting to wonder just how close they'd gotten while I'd been in Hell. Beth had told me she'd walked in on them having sex, but had it been more than once? Was it more than just sex?

"I'm hearing a few whispers," Ruby answered, her dark eyes peering up at Sam.

"Oooh, great, demon whispers – that's reliable," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"Girl named Anna Milton escaped from a locked ward yesterday. The demons seem pretty keen on finding her. Apparently, some real heavy hitters turned out for the Easter-egg hunt," Ruby continued.

I felt a hand touch the small of my back and turned, smiling as Beth slipped her arm around my waist, looking at Ruby warily as she joined us.

"Why? Who is she?" Sam asked.

"No idea," Ruby said, her eyes flicking to Beth in silent acknowledgement that she'd just joined us. "But I'm thinking that she's important, 'cause the order is to capture her alive. I just figured that whatever the deal is, you might want to find this girl before the demons do."

Sam glanced over at us, all serious. "Look, maybe we should check it out."

"Actually," I said, keeping one arm wrapped around Beth and lifting my glass of beer to my lips nonchalantly. "We're working a case, but thanks."

"What case?" Ruby scoffed.

"Uh, we've got leads, big leads," I countered.

"Sounds dangerous," she smirked, playing along.

"Yeah, well, it sure ain't goose-chasing after some chick who, for all we know, doesn't even exist, just because you say she's important." I pointed out, ignoring the daggers Sam was throwing me with his eyes. Oh it was on, he and I needed to have a little chat about his new best friend sometime, set him straight about some of the things she'd done to this family.

"I'm just delivering the news," Ruby said. "You can do whatever you want with it. Fas as I'm concerned, I told you, I'm done." She stood as if to leave and then I almost staggered when Beth spoke.

"Wait, Ruby. This hospital Anna escaped from… it got a name?" Her voice was low and her arm tightened around my waist. Something was up, something I'd obviously missed. Ruby smirked at me, and then turned to Beth with a nod.

* * *

_**Impala**_

**Beth's POV**

Dean was stewing on something as he drove, staring out the windshield with a scowl on his face. Sam was sitting in the back seat talking on the phone to the police. I closed my eyes for a moment, listening to the rain patter on the windshield, wishing that I could instead be tucked up in bed with my husband. It had been a long time since we'd just enjoyed that space together, and I found myself thinking about the three day stay at a little bed and breakfast so many years ago. We'd just lost the baby, and found ourselves stranded after a hunt due to a storm. We'd rediscovered each other that week, tucked away from the rest of the world, staying warm under covers as we made incredibly sweet and slow love.

"Can I get a copy of the missing persons report?" Sam asked, jolting me out of my thoughts. "Great. Okay."

I slid across the seat to sit closer to Dean, my thigh pressed up against his. We'd left right away at my urging but he didn't seem convinced it was the right move.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked and he turned conflicted eyes to me, confirming that something was definitely bothering him.

"Thanks," Sam said, hanging up the phone and drawing my attention before Dean could speak. "Well, Anna Milton's definitely real," he said to us.

"Don't mean the case is real. And this hospital's a three-day drive," Dean countered. I squeezed his thigh softly and looked at him.

"Since when do you complain about a drive?" I asked with a grin, and he shook his head.

"We've driven further for less, Dean," Sam pointed out. Dean shook his head again, clearly bothered. "Look, you got something to say, say it."

"Oh, I'm saying it – this sucks," Dean spat out and I was a little surprised at the venom behind it. Sam let out an angry short breath which was audible even from the back seat.

"You're not pissed we're going after the girl. You're pissed Ruby threw us the tip," Sam said, leaning forward as I turned to sit sideways on the seat so I could see them both.

"Right," Dean said with a nod. "Because as far as you're concerned, the Hell-bitch is practically family. Yeah, boy, something major must've happened while I was downstairs, 'cause I come back and… and you're BFF with a demon and ignoring your own sister?"

"I told you, Dean, she helped me go after Lilith," Sam said, conveniently ignoring the part about how he'd dumped my ass as soon as she'd happened along.

"Well, thanks for the thumbnail – real vivid," Dean said with a roll of his eyes. "You want to fill in a little detail?"

"Sure, Dean, let's trade stories. You first. How was Hell? Don't spare the details," Sam retorted and I felt Dean's thigh tense just at the thought of it.

"Guys… come on, this isn't helping things," I soothed and Dean sighed, shaking his head again while Sam sat back in his seat.

"Well, you know what isn't helping? You siding with the demon bitch on this one," Dean said to me with a low tone, looking at me with what appeared to be worry in his eyes.

"I'm not," I said. "I'd be as wary as you if it weren't for outside factors," I said.

"Yeah, about that…"

I held up my hand, staving off the lecture. "Okay, okay, it's story time, I get it. There's not much to it, but something is going on. I was asleep, and I found myself in the woods – the same one I usually end up in when Cas and I talk, you know, when I'm dreaming." Dean nodded, glancing over at me.

"So I hear people talking and I sneak up on them because I'm feeling nervous for some reason. I'm hiding behind these bushes and I see Cas and Uriel. Uriel is going on about some girl that has been located, and how the demons are after her and they need to get to her first."

I paused for breath, looking at both the boys, realising I had their undivided attention. "While I was listening in on this, Ezekiel snuck up behind me."

"Ezekiel?" Dean asked, and I nodded. "The same Ezekiel who possessed you and kidnapped you?"

"It wasn't like that Dean, and you know it," I said with a sigh, but his eyes were showing the hurt and worry just hearing the angel's name brought up in him. He was still dealing with the guilt over having beaten me almost to death months ago when in the throes of a hallucination.

"Dean," I said softly. "Ezekiel would never hurt me."

"Yeah, right," he scoffed. "You said that about me once too."

I bit my lip and leaned over to touch his face, turning him to look at me for a moment. He kept one eye on the road, but glanced my way with a sigh.

"And you never would," I said. "That wasn't your fault." Dean sighed, knowing better than to argue this with me.

"He took your body into a battle zone, Beth."

"With my permission," I pointed out.

"Yeah, about that…"

"Hey, guys, can we get back to the point? You've argued enough about this, what's done is done," Sam said, his voice heavy with unspoken opinion. I glanced at him, wondering whether he was referring to just our arguments when he spoke about putting the past behind us.

"Right. Well Ezekiel said he'd called me because Cas got pulled from the battalion without explanation and he used my connection to Cas to locate him and listen in on the plans they were making. He says demons have been possessing vessels when they find them. Using the vessel's connection to Heaven they can tune in and listen to the battle plans being made." I said, again pausing to look at them.

"Oh I don't like the sound of that," Dean muttered, shaking his head. "Demons always seem to have a thing for you, now I'm starting to see why."

"That's why I have the tattoo, they can't possess me ever again," I said and he nodded, turning his troubled eyes back to the road.

"Apparently it's rare, because unlike the angels, demons can't just tune in and find out who is a vessel and who isn't," I said. "Either way, the angels are after this girl too, and she's more than a vessel he said, but wouldn't elaborate any more than that. He told me to keep my ear to the ground and see if anything showed up – then I walk into the bar to find you guys, and here's Ruby sprouting on about some girl who has just escaped from a mental ward and demons are after her… it was too much of a coincidence."

"You think this Anna is the girl the angels are after?" Dean asked.

"I think there's a fair chance, yeah."

* * *

**Sam's POV**

With Beth's admission that Anna Milton might be the girl both angels and demons were after, Dean settled down. He wasn't real happy with the situation, but if there was one thing about my brother, he didn't often get into arguments with Beth over the next course of action. This was mainly because she so rarely put her foot down about something, so when she did he knew that he should shut up and listen.

I sat back in my seat feeling slightly vindicated that I'd gotten my way, even if it Beth had gone to bat for me. The comment about my relationship with Ruby had me smarting a little, most of the time I didn't give it any thought at all, but then there were the nights when I was feeling the need, not just to tear into something that could take the anger I had inside, but the other need, the one I wasn't supposed to be indulging.

I sighed, looking out the window at the trees rushing by. It hadn't been an easy road these last six months, getting to where we were now. Closing my eyes I started to think about just how far from Dean and Beth's innocent little brother I had come.

When Dean had died, I had done everything I could to help Beth through that time. I thought maybe we'd succeed in getting him out, hopes had been high, but as the months had dragged by I found myself sinking deeper and deeper into darkness that even Beth couldn't help me with. She was in one of her own, the pair of us holding on by mere threads to the hope that we could win.

One night I'd found myself at a crossroads when she'd gone to the chapel down the street to pray. I had gone past praying at this point, and was getting resentful that she still could. None of it was fair, how could she believe in God the merciful when he refused to lift a finger to save our brother from his torment? A torment he had only chosen to spare his loved ones from pain.

_The wind picked up a little as I dug at the hard, compacted dirt. It was difficult, but sheer brute force broke the surface, and stubborn pride made me continue. I finally had enough of a hole to bury the small box with the summoning ingredients in it, and I hurriedly covered over this latest effort to save my brother._

_My back was sore, and I stood slowly, looking up at the sky. The stars were sparkling brightly as the moon was hiding. I waited impatiently, taking another sip out of the bottle of whiskey I was holding. I felt the road spinning a little and threw the bottle at a nearby sign, smashing it._

"_Come on! Where the Hell are you?!" I screamed into the night air. Nothing. I started to think that maybe it wasn't going to show up when I heard a male voice from behind me._

"_I was wondering whether to come or not," he said and I spun to face him, locating his position over by an old abandoned gas station. "I mean, you shot one of my co-workers." He stopped leaning against a beam, and took a few steps toward me with a smirk on his face. "Don't take this the wrong way, Sam, but you don't look so hot buddy. I guess burying your brother didn't agree with you."_

"_Well?" I asked, refusing to bite at the brother remark and taking a few steps toward him._

"_Well, let's see that special little knife of yours first," he said, and I scoffed, pulling it out of my jacket and slamming it down on an old wooden table near the gas station._

"_No devil's traps, either. I'm not here to play games," I stated, staring at him._

"_Well, let me guess. You want to make a deal. And 'round and 'round the Winchesters go. I'm sorry Sam. That's not gonna happen," he said. I saw red, and with a movement that was faster than anything he saw coming, I stabbed the knife through his hand, pinning him to the wood underneath. The demon cried out, and started to breathe heavily, but I had to give it to him, he didn't panic._

"_I don't want ten years. I don't want one year. I don't want candy!" I snapped at him. "I want to trade places with Dean."_

"_No." _

"_Just take me!" I yelled. "It's a fair trade!"_

"_Does your sister know you're here?"_

"_What?" I asked, looking at him._

"_Simple question Sam, does your sister know you are here trying to trade your soul for her husband? Man that sounds funny even saying it, you know the only thing that would make things even more delicious about that situation would be if she were your real, blood sister. Talk about racey Dean." _

_I punched him, twisting the knife in his hand as he yelled with pain._

"_Shut up about my sister. Now give me the deal," I said._

"_No!" He said firmly back at me._

"_Why not?" I asked, frustration clutching at my chest. How many times did I have to do this? We'd been to four crossroads already and they all said the same, 'No deal', but why? Why was Dean so special? I looked at the demon, sighing._

"_Lilith wants me dead. Just let Dean go, and she can have me."_

"_Don't you understand, Sam? It's not about your soul. Dean's in Hell, right where we want him. We've got everything exactly the way we want it. True, we missed out on that tasty little piece of ass you call a sister, but we got Dean to sweeten the deal. Things are as they are meant to be. You want to kill me? Go ahead. I've made peace with my Lord."_

"Sam?" A voice lulled me back into the present and I turned to look at Dean who was looking in the mirror at me. Beth was curled up against his shoulder, his arm tucked around her as she slept peacefully.

"Yeah?"

"Did you hear me?" He asked with a frown.

"No, uh, sorry, I must have dozed off."

"I asked if you were okay to drive for a bit, we could use the rest," Dean said and I nodded.

"Yeah, sure man." I waited for Dean to pull over, and he opened the driver side door, slipping his arms around Beth.

"Hey baby," he said softly and she murmured into his neck. "Come on sleepyhead, time to get in the back." Beth woke up long enough to swing her legs out of the car and then Dean pulled her to her feet, manoeuvring them around the open door and into the back. He guided her across the seat and then sat near the door, taking a pillow Beth now kept in the back religiously and tucking it behind his head as he leaned into the corner.

I watched, kind of in awe of the gentle care he took with our sister, as he whispered something into her ear and she smiled, kissing him softly before lying across the back seat, her head in his lap. She closed her eyes and seemed to fall back asleep almost immediately. Dean rested his hand in her hair and I heard him sigh, almost contentedly, as I got into the driver's seat.

"You spoil her," I said with a smile, looking in the mirror at Dean who opened one eye to look at me. He chuckled and nodded, moving the pillow a little to get comfortable.

"Yeah, I know. But she's worth it," he said, closing his eyes and smiling.

"Yeah, she is," I said softly, feeling a little guilty about how badly I'd treated her while Dean was in Hell. Beth had never done anything other than try to care for me as Dean and Dad had, and I'd abused that privilege. Somehow she'd managed to forgive me, but we were far from back to normal. I'd have to work on that.

* * *

_**Psychiatric Ward**_

**Beth's POV**

Anna's psychologist was more than happy to show us to the room she'd been occupying before her escape. She walked ahead of us, holding her shoulders back in a slightly superior stance. Everything about her was neat and perfect: hair curled but neatly controlled, blue blazer over a white shirt with a matching blue skirt, right down to the white shoes and string of pearls at her neck.

"Of course I want to help however I can," she said as we looked around the room.

"Now, the orderly has no recollection of Anna's escape?" Sam asked as Dean and I examined the stark white room. How anyone could hope to get better in such a place was beyond me. The soul needed colour and life to be well, this wasn't living: this was a nightmare.

"Apparently she knocked him unconscious," the doctor said and I looked up, curious. That would be some act of power. "The blow caused some amnesia. He doesn't even remember coming into her room."

Dean and I exchanged a glance, he seemed as sceptical as I did on that, and the amnesia… that was classic demon black out.

"That's a hell of a right hook to knock out a guy that's got eighty pounds on her," Dean pointed out.

"We think she may have planned this, waited behind the door," said the doctor, walking out of the room into the hallway.

"You mentioned Anna's illness was recent?" I asked, following her.

"Two months ago, she was happy, well-adjusted, journalism major, lots of friends – bright future," she answered.

"So, what happened – she just… flipped?" Dean asked.

"Well, that's the tragedy of schizophrenia. Within weeks, Anna was overtaken by delusions," she said, looking at all three of us.

"What kind of delusions?" I asked, looking up from the notepad where I was writing.

"She thought demons were everywhere," the doctor answered, and she handed me a sketch book. I started to flip through the book and the first thing I noticed was the stained-glass windows she had drawn on almost every page. Some of the drawings were of steeples, a cross above the windows, it was the same window over and over.

"Interesting," Dean muttered.

"It's not uncommon for our patients to believe that monsters are real," the doctor said with a tight-lipped smile.

"Well, that – that's just batty," Dean said and I resisted the urge to elbow him. Sam looked over my shoulder as I continued to flip through the book, and I froze as I came to a dark drawing of people rising from the grave. Scrawled across the top in almost gothic lettering were the words 'Raising of the Witnesses'. I glanced at Sam who frowned, and he reached out to flip to the next page.

What came next made my blood run cold, the words 'Samhain the next seal is broken,' covered the page above a drawing of a man's face and a row of houses all with jack-o-lanterns out the front.

"That's Revelations," Dean said, paying attention to the drawings too.

"Since when does the Book of Revelations have jack-o-lanterns?" The doctor asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a little-known translation," I said absently while staring at the picture. My stomach was tied in knots. Dean looked up and flashed his trademark lady-killer smile.

"Beth here is a bit of a religious…expert," he explained.

"Ah," the doctor said, glancing at me. "Well, Anna's father is a church deacon. When she became ill, her paranoia took on religious overtones. She was convinced the devil was about to rise up and end the world," she said to us. There was no doubt in my mind, this was the girl we were looking for. "I hope you find her. It's dangerous for her to be out there alone right now."

* * *

_**Milton Home**_

**Beth's POV**

"You know this kind of reminds me of the day we came after you," Dean said as we pulled up in front of the Milton house.

"Oh?" I asked, looking at him curiously. We'd never really talked about that day.

"Yeah… Dad, he was so anxious, he was freaking out, and I didn't have any idea why – hadn't ever heard of you or your dad before, but here we were busting our asses to get half way across the country as quickly as we could."

"We only stopped for gas," Sam said softly from the back seat, his voice sounding miles away. "Dad said we had the time it took to fill up the car to go to the bathroom or get food, that was it." I chuckled, thinking about how that conversation would have gone down.

"When we arrived my heart was pounding so hard I thought it might leap out of my chest, and here's Dad, all business, pulling out guns and holy water and racing up the steps to the house," Dean said, shutting off the car engine and looking at me.

"After we found you…and had exorcised the demon, I realised your Dad was a minister. But he was clearly a hunter as well, and our dads knew each other, but you had no idea. He'd kept it from you, given you a normal life…"

"Not that it did me any good. I would have been better off knowing, I might be stopped it." I said softly, shaking my head.

"You can't know that," Dean said, reaching out and squeezing my hand.

"It's okay," I said, smiling sadly. "I made my peace with that day a long time ago."

Dean frowned and then nodded slightly, squeezing my hand again.

"Come on, let's go," he said, looking back at Sam who nodded.

As we walked along the foot path up to the house I felt like Dean had described. My heart was pounding fiercely in my chest and I was nervous, worried for this girl.

Dean knocked on the door and then shrugged when there was no answer.

"Maybe they're not home," I suggested.

"Both cars are in the driveway," Sam pointed out.

I sighed, that wasn't a good sign at all. Dean tried the handle, and finding it unlocked, opened the door and stuck his head inside.

"Mr and Mrs Milton?" He called out.

"We're from the Sheriff's Department. We just wanted to ask you a couple of questions," Sam added as Dean swung the door open all the way.

Not getting an answer, we entered the house, Dean veering to the left while Sam and I walked into the living room on the right. Immediately we saw the bodies of an older couple lying dead on the floor, both their throats cut.

"Ahhh, man," I muttered with a sigh, shaking my head. I felt Dean come up behind me almost instantly while Sam crouched in front of the bodies, touching a powdered substance on the floor.

"Hmm," he said, flinching back with a grimace as he brought the substance up to his nose. "Sulphur."

"The demons beat us here," I said, glancing at Dean who was frowning.

"Yeah," Sam said, standing up. "Whatever the deal is with this Anna girl…."

"Yeah, they want her. They're not screwing around," Dean said with a nod. He ran a hand across his face and his brow creased as he started to consider the situation. He picked up some addressed envelopes sitting on a table and flipped through them. "All right, so, I'm _Girl Interrupted, _and I know the score of the apocalypse, just busted out of the nut-box…possibly using superpowers by the way. Where do I go?"

I thought about it, looking around the house, all signs pointed to home, but clearly she hadn't returned here. Or had she? Maybe the demons had taken her when she showed up. Sam glanced over at me, picking up a photograph from the mantle over the fireplace.

"Hey Beth, you got those sketches from Anna's notebook?"

"Yeah," I said with a nod, pulling them out of my jacket.

"Let me see them," Sam said, bringing the photo over to me. It was of Anna and her parents standing in front of their church. "Check this out."

I saw it almost instantly, the window. Flipping through the sketches I nodded, looking up at Sam. "She was drawing the window of her church."

"Over and over," Dean said, looking around my shoulder at the photo then the sketches.

"She's religious, scared, and has demons after her. I know where I'd be going to feel safe," I commented, looking at Dean. Same place I went every night just to try and get some of the horror of the day out of my life. Holy ground.

* * *

_**Church**_

**Dean's POV**

Sam led the way through the church and I had to chuckle at Beth's distasteful look at him when he drew his gun in the middle of the chapel. I shook my head, even I knew better than that, but Sam just ignored her and pushed through to the back of the building. So far we'd avoided encountering anyone, and were making our way up the stairs to the attic of the church which appeared to be a storage area for various religious items and card tables, no doubt used for fetes and other church events.

As we reached the top of the stairs I pulled my gun too, and saw Beth reaching for hers.

"Guys," Sam whispered, pointing his gun toward an area at the back where we saw the shadow of someone hiding behind a stained glass panel. Beth put a hand on Sam's arm and removed her hand from under her jacket, leaving her gun tucked into her waistband.

"Anna?" Beth called out, waving at us to put our guns away. "We're not going to hurt you. We're here to help. My name is Beth." She took a couple more steps into the large open room, eyes focused on the person hiding. "These are my brothers Sam and Dean."

"Beth?" A scared voice sounded from behind the glass. "Not Beth Winchester?"

Beth hesitated and glanced at me, she was still getting used to going by the name Winchester, it made me chuckle.

"Uh, yeah," she answered, nodding. The girl stepped out into the open, looking at us with wide frightened blue eyes. She looked straight at me and I felt like she was looking through me.

"And you're Dean?" She asked, to which I nodded.

"_The Dean?" _She stated with extra emphasis. Beth turned to look at me incredulously.

"_The Dean? _Man you do get around," She said with a raised eyebrow, and I grinned at her, knowing it would flame the little green dragon just a bit. The last time she'd heard me referred to as _The Dean _had been at Ben's birthday party, the day she'd met Lisa and found out I had a son.

I looked back at Anna who was waiting expectantly. "Well, yeah. _The Dean, _I guess," shrugging a Beth.

"It's really you," Anna said, almost in awe. "Oh my God. The angels talk about you," she took a few tentative steps toward us. "You were in Hell, but Castiel pulled you out, and some of them think you can help save us," she said. Anna turned to look at Sam. "And some of them don't like you at all." This had Sam frowning, but I thought it was kind of deserved, he had been a bit of a dick hanging around with Ruby.

"They talk about you all the time," Anna continued, taking Beth's hands in her own and smiling. "I feel like I know you."

"So, you talk to angels?" I asked, shaking my head a little. How did this make her different to Beth? Ezekiel said she was different, but I couldn't see it right now.

"Oh, no." Anna said. "No, no way. Um, they probably don't even know I exist. I just kind of… overhear them."

"You overhear them?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, they talk, and sometimes I just… hear them… in my head," she looked at Beth. "Like you."

"Can you hear them now?" Beth asked and she shook her head.

"Not right this second, but a lot. And I can't shut them out, there are so many of them," Anna answered. Beth nodded as if she understood what she was going through.

"So, they lock you up with a case of the crazies when really you were just…tuning in to angel radio?" I asked, looking at her.

"Yes," Anna said turning to me. "Thank you!" She sounded genuinely relieved that we actually believed her.

"Anna, when did the voices start?" Beth asked and I noticed that Anna was still clutching at her hands, this girl was scared. "Do you remember?"

"I can tell you exactly – September 18th," Anna said. Beth turned to look at me, her eyes widening.

"The day I got out of Hell," I said, glancing at Sam.

"First words I heard, clear as a bell – 'Dean Winchester is saved.'" Anna said, "It was your voice," she added to Beth, who sucked in a short breath, closing her eyes. I reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing tightly. I knew she still dreamed of that night. Castiel had come to her in a dream, but she didn't realise it was reality at the time, she didn't know she was a vessel.

He'd asked her to use her body to slip into Hell, saying that there was a better chance of success if he was able to take a physical form no one would expect. Not even hesitating, even in a dream, she'd agreed if it meant getting me out. It still chilled me to the bone thinking about it. I didn't remember it, but Beth said Cas had grabbed me, pulling me away from a demon with white eyes – I can only assume it had been Ashmedai - who had been instructing me in the finer arts of pleasure _and _pain.

Beth had woken up thinking it was a dream, when in actuality, Cas had just returned her to bed, no longer needing her as a vessel.

"What do you think?" I asked Sam, who shrugged.

"It's above my pay grade, man."

"Well, at least now we know why the demons want you so bad. They get a hold of you, they can hear everything the other side's cooking. You're 1-900-Angel." I said and Anna smiled at the little joke. I decided I liked her, anyone who could appreciate my jokes got a nod from me.

"Hey um, do you know – are my parents okay?" Anna asked. "I – I didn't go home. I was afraid."

The door behind us swung open and I rolled my eyes as Ruby came rushing through.

"You got the girl? Good, let's go!" She insisted.

"Her face!" Anna cried out, letting go of Beth and backing up, a look of fear on her face.

"It's okay," Sam said. "She's here to help."

"Yeah, don't be so sure," I muttered, gaining a glare from Sam.

"We have to hurry," Ruby said.

"Why?" Beth asked, looking at Ruby with as much wariness as I was feeling.

"Because a demon's coming – big-timer. We can fight later, guys." Ruby said.

"Well, that's pretty convenient – showing up right when we find the girl with some bigwig on your tail?" I snapped. It seemed like she was always showing up at the most convenient of times.

"I didn't bring him here. You did." Ruby said.

"What?"

"He followed you from the girl's house," she said. "We got to go now." She looked genuinely scared and while I wasn't about to show it, I was feeling the panic to get out of there in a hurry.

"Dean," Beth said, pointing to a statue of Mary that was bleeding from the eyes.

"It's too late," Ruby said, seeing it too. "He's here."

Sam grabbed Anna by the arm and pulled her into the back of the room, hiding her in the closet. "Okay. Stay in there," Sam instructed. "Don't move." I exchanged a look with Beth, and debated telling her to hide with Anna, but I knew better than to walk down that road. If she felt she needed to be with Anna, she'd be there.

As he returned, Sam pulled a flask of holy water out of his pocket.

"No Sam, you got to pull him right away," Ruby said.

"Whoa, hold on a sec," I said, feeling instantly on edge at the talk about Sam using any of his psychic powers.

"Now's not the time to bellyache about Sam going dark side. He does his thing, he exorcises that demon, or we die," Ruby said and that stopped me.

I glanced from Ruby to Sam who was looking uncomfortable at the idea, but put the flask away just the same.

We waited, breathless and our hearts pounding for the demon to come. His footsteps echoed ominously up the stairs as he got closer, and then the door burst open. I found myself looking at a middle-aged man with a comb-over wearing a brown suit. He scowled when he saw us and proceeded into the room without any hesitation whatsoever.

Sam stretched out a hand toward him, and I could see him straining to yank the demon out of its vessel, but it wasn't working. The demon in front of us coughed a little and then his eyes flashed white, just like Lilith's, before fading to brown again.

"That tickles," he said in a strange husky voice, waving his finger in the air at Sam. "You don't have the juice to take me on, Sam." He stepped forward, grasping in the air like he had just taken a handful of shirt, and he yanked back. Sam started to fly through the air as if by invisible tether, and he was propelled behind the demon and through the railing, falling down the stairs.

"Sam!" Beth called out as I pulled the knife out of my jacket.

"Beth, get Anna out of here, now." I instructed before lunging at the demon. He blocked my downward swing with his left arm, and I lashed out with a left hook. The demon caught my left arm in his right hand and pinned it to my chest, still holding the knife at bay easily while I struggled to break his hold.

"Hello again, Dean," he said as I grappled to move us. He grabbed my shirt, swinging me hard against the wall and I dropped the knife. Ruby had moved to the closet and I heard Anna scream as she pulled her out, for once I actually hoped that hell bitch was on our side.

Beth had been stunned momentarily but was now on the move, she slid along the floorboards, coming along next to me and grabbing the knife I'd dropped. Taking it in hand she swung upwards with a hard blow, bringing her arm up and under my own which was pinned by the demon. She was aiming for the chest, but the demon let go of my left arm and blocked her. With a snarl, he twisted her wrist and squeezed at the same time. She cried out in pain, dropping the knife.

"Nice to see your stay in Hell hasn't damaged your marriage any," he said as he looked her up and down. "Fine piece of ass, but nothing like you had down below, hey Dean?" He made another twisting motion and sent Beth flying across the room into a wall, she hit hard with a cry and fell to the floor motionless.

Rage boiled to the surface in me as I renewed my efforts to get free of the demon, but he was so much stronger than me. He held me against the wall as if I were a child as I swung and hit him with a right hook, barely even snapping his head back. I felt searing fire run down my face as he returned the right hook, and followed with a left jab. Hot blood trickled down my nose as he looked smugly down at me.

"Come on Dean, don't you recognise me?" He asked, grabbing my shirt and pulling me closer to him. I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure who the Hell he was. "Oh, I forgot – I'm wearing a paediatrician. But we were so close…in Hell."

Something about the way he said that, and the flash of recognition behind his eyes hit me in the stomach like a knife. My body tensed, I felt every cell in my body scream and want to run with fear as he punched me again. The metallic taste of my bleeding nose hit me and I tried to fight the terror that was threatening to engulf me.

"Alastair," I muttered. He smiled and then chuckled, hitting me again. White, blinding pain stabbed through me and I groaned. It wasn't like he hadn't heard much worse from me.

Sam picked up the knife Beth had dropped beside us and Alastair dropped me, turning to face my brother as he rammed the knife deep into his chest. There was a sizzling pop as the knife entered, but Alastair barely even flinched.

"You're gonna have to try a whole lot harder than that, son," he said, his lip curling cruelly as he took hold of Sam, swinging him around and throwing him further into the room. Alastair grabbed at the knife, grimacing slightly as he pulled it from his body. Hands were grasping at me and I realised Beth had found her way back to my side, and she looked urgently at Alastair before helping me up.

"Come on, we gotta go," she said, pulling me away only to find Alastair blocking the exit. We glanced at each other and then I spotted the stained glass window, grimacing.

"You're not gonna like it," I said, nodding and she bit her lip.

"Oh damn," she muttered, but nodded. Sam climbed to his feet and looked as if he was going to charge after Alastair who was now calmly walking toward us, knife in hand.

"Sam!" Beth called out, and then I took her hand, running at the window. I hit it first, hoping to take most of the brunt, but the glass splintered as we both fell through to the ground below. I heard her cry out and roll as she landed and there was a pop and searing pain in my shoulder as I hit. God damn, I'd just done a number on myself. Sam came barrelling down beside us and I forced myself to my feet, we had to keep moving, we had to run.

Grasping at Beth's hips, I pulled her up, Sam also helping to steady her as we looked up to see Alastair watching us from the window. He made no effort to follow, but one thing was for sure, he had won this round.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Beth's POV**

A huge shard of glass had cut into my upper arm as we hit the ground, it needed stitches and, being that we were now on Hell's most wanted list, a hospital was out of the question. Not that it mattered because between the three of us we had enough experience to rival any field medic, but as Sam prepared to put the needle through my skin again without any pain killers, I was starting to lament the conveniences of modern medicine.

"Gah!" I muttered as he put the eighth stitch in, pulling the skin tight. "Oh frick me," I said, grasping Sam's thigh tightly as I faced him.

"You okay?" He asked, and I nodded, feeling the sweat pouring down my face as I grit my teeth.

"Yeah, just finish it," I said, licking my lips.

Dean came in from the bathroom where he'd been washing blood from his face, and threw me a sympathetic look.

"Almost done?" He asked and Sam nodded.

"I'm going as fast as I can," he said.

"Good, 'cause you know I got a dislocated shoulder over here," Dean said, picking up a bottle of whiskey and drinking from it long and hard.

"Yeah, I'll pop it back when I'm finished," Sam said, shaking his head at Dean's impatience and cutting the thread.

"Give me that," he said as Dean finished taking a drink. Taking the bottle, Sam poured some of the alcohol over his completed stitches and I hissed at the sting it sent down my whole arm. I used my right arm to grab at the bottle from him, taking three or four gulps of whiskey to dull the pain.

"So you lost the magic knife?" Dean said, standing next to us.

"Yeah, saving your ass. Who the Hell was that demon?" Sam asked, looking up at him.

"No one good," Dean answered quietly, looking at me. I could see a haunted expression behind those eyes, he was braving some bad memories.

"We have to find Anna," I said, drawing his attention back to the moment.

"Ruby's got her. I'm sure she's okay," Sam said. He stood up, limping a bit from his own injuries where he'd sprained his ankle on the fall, and looking at Dean. "Come on," he said, positioning himself next to Dean and placing his hands at his shoulder and arm.

He checked in with Dean, nodding and then said, "On three. One…" Dean yelled in pain as Sam forced his shoulder back into the socket ahead of the count. Gasping in pain, Dean walked back into the bathroom, hanging his head and groaning a little.

"You sure about Ruby?" He asked, his voice echoing out to us. "Because I think it's just as likely she used us to find radio girl and then brought that demon in to kill us."

"No, she took Anna to keep her safe," Sam argued.

"Yeah. Well why hasn't she called to tell us where she is?" Dean asked, and I had to admit, he had a point.

"Because that demon is probably watching us right now, waiting to follow us right back to Anna again. That's why he let us go," Sam said

"You call this letting us go?" Dean asked, turning around with a grunt.

"Yeah, hey I thought that's why we were laying low, you mean I could have gone to a hospital to get this sorted?" I said, "Oh the sweet bliss of pain killers," I groaned, lying back on the bed. Dean chuckled at me.

"Wuss," he said and I laughed, nodding. "You know you rarely have to get stitches, this is kind of funny."

"Yeah, I'm not so keen on it," I agreed. "At least I fed you a steady drip of whiskey whenever you got yours."

Dean looked contemplatively at me and then nodded, pouring a couple of shots of whiskey into a glass and then walking over to me, holding it to my lips, I gratefully drank from the glass. When finished I lay back with another groan, sighing happily.

"Mmm better."

"You guys done?" Sam asked, rolling his eyes at us. Dean shrugged at me and sat down on the bed, looking over at Sam.

"Look, killing us would've been no problem to that thing," Sam continued. "That's why, for now, we just got to lay low and wait for Ruby to contact us."

"How's she gonna do that?" Dean asked. Sam shrugged.

"Why do you trust her so much?" I asked, frowning and sitting up.

"I told you," Sam answered.

"You got to do better that that," Dean said, looking over at him and Sam bristled, automatically reading the worst into Dean's comments. "Hey, I'm not trying to pick a fight here. I mean, I really want to understand. But I need to know more. I mean, _I deserve_ to know more."

Sam hesitated, glancing at me and then looking at the floor, nodding to himself.

"Because… she saved my life," Sam said. "She saved both our lives." Dean looked at me and I shrugged.

"Still not convinced on that, she brought those thugs with her… if she hadn't been coming after us, then there'd have been no one to be saved from," I said.

"Yeah, well that wasn't the only time," Sam said, looking at me.

"What are you guys talking about?" Dean asked. I met his eyes, sighing, and Sam started to speak.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Sam's POV**

"It was about two and half months after you died," I started, taking a deep breath. "We'd been doing everything we could to find a way to get you out, we went to crossroads, several devil's gates, voodoo witch doctors, and spoke with every religious expert we could find… nothing was working. Jefferson was off on his own quest to find a religious angle, he'd also suggested we go after Lilith because she held your contract, but we weren't getting far with that either."

I stopped, thinking back to the day Ruby had found us, it was still clear in my mind and I looked at Beth, sighing.

_I stood helplessly in the chapel foyer listening to Beth as she sobbed through her prayers; she came here morning and night, her prayers never changing. She begged the angels, God, whoever was listening for mercy, to reverse the deal and intercede on Dean's behalf. When she was really bad she'd beg to be taken in his place, to end his torment and her crying would be inconsolable. She'd started out strong, but after we'd received that DVD from Maggie, she'd had a visual reminder of what she was missing, and she tortured herself with it regularly. _

_I sighed, running a hand across my tired eyes. I felt like I hadn't slept in weeks. I had managed a few hours of sleep each night, it just never felt like it. Beth was having nightmares every night, and would wake me with her cries, often yelling for Dean and then rolling over into the pillows she would pile up beside her and then cry herself back to sleep. I felt useless, I couldn't help her, and I felt just as desolate as she, only I wasn't allowed to show it; I had to be strong for her._

_As a result I'd taken to drinking more and more, trying to dull the pain, and also pass out so that I didn't have to hear her through the night. She was drinking too, but not nearly as much as I was starting to put away every night. I tried to hide it, but she was worried, and worse than that, she was starting to lecture. I was beginning to think it was a little too much like the pot calling the kettle black, though I had to admit, she never drank so much that she passed out for hours on end._

_I turned back toward the motel across the road and thought about what was to come. We'd had a lead on a demon, and as soon as Beth was through with her prayers and pulled herself together for the day, we would move and take it down. I pulled out Ruby's knife, looking at it as it glinted in the early morning light. It was our only asset where the demons were concerned. We'd started to come up with a few torturous moves using it that nearly always got the demon spilling their guts if they knew anything. Problem was finding someone in the know._

I paused, looking up and seeing Dean staring at Beth who was curled up next to him in bed, her head in his lap. He had such a look of melancholy on his face, like he wanted to take back all her pain if he could. Beth rolled on to her back to look up at him and he brushed the hair out of her eyes with a smile.

"I'm sorry," he said softly and she sighed, nodding.

"It wasn't your fault," she replied and I felt guilt settle in my stomach. They'd been through Hell, loss and pain, and continued to do so, all for me. I pushed it back and took another deep breath as Dean looked at me, nodding for me to continue.

"Well, that day, we caught a demon who supposedly knew someone who could get us to Lilith," I continued and Beth nodded. "She wasn't cooperating though, even when we used the knife to try and get information out of her. She kept pushing and pushing and said some really nasty things to Beth. At one point I pulled Beth out of the room because I couldn't listen to it anymore, and I could see her wavering…" Beth sighed and nodded.

"Yeah… she was a bitch."

"That was when Ruby showed up with two goons. Caught us unexpectedly, taking the knife from me. Then just as I thought she was going to kill us both, she stabbed the demon holding me, and then threw the knife, hitting the other one holding Beth and freeing us both. She didn't have to do that, she could have just killed us like Lilith had ordered her to do." I finished, looking at Dean.

"Still going with they wouldn't have been there if she wasn't," Beth muttered and I frowned. She wasn't going to let up on that, was she?

"Well, someone would have come for us eventually; maybe it was luck that Ruby got sent, because she wants to help us." I said. Beth sighed, shaking her head and Dean frowned down at her.

"Let's just hear the rest of the story," Dean said, looking up at me.

"Well, you know some of it," I said with a shrug. "Beth refused to come with us, threw me the keys to the Impala, so I took it. We were getting nowhere as we were, so I figured maybe Ruby would be able to give me the inside edge I needed, she had just saved my life, and she was keen to help. Of course, it took her a little bit of effort to convince me…"

"_You know what sounds good?" Ruby asked, sitting beside me as I drove the Impala away from where I'd been staying with Beth for the last few weeks. "French fries. I just escaped Hell. I deserve a treat," Ruby said with a grin, looking at me. Her face fell at the lack of enthusiasm from me._

"_You know a 'thank you' would be nice." She said._

"_Who asked for your help?" I asked testily, Beth's words still echoing in my head, I was starting to have second thoughts._

"_You have no idea what I've been through. When Lilith gets pissed, she gets creative," Ruby said, looking sternly at me. "You want to hear about the corners of Hell I've seen, Sam?"_

"_No, I don't."_

"_And the things I had to do to convince her I was sorry? That I could be trusted?"_

"_Well, this'll definitely get you a fat Christmas bonus," I said, eyes on the road._

"_Very funny," Ruby said, rolling her eyes. "I'm a fugitive… for you, Sam. I took all this risk to get back to you, so, yeah, I deserve a damn 'thank you'," she finished. I shook my head, glaring at her._

"_Who asked you to save me?"_

"_I'm just trying to help," Ruby said._

"_Can you help me save Dean?" I asked, that was my only focus right now._

"_No," Ruby answered quietly. "Nothing I know of is powerful enough to do that."_

_I snapped, pulling the car to a screeching stop by the side of the road. _

"_Then I have no use for you," I said, staring straight ahead. Beth had been right, she was useless._

"_What?" Ruby asked incredulously._

"_Get out," I ordered._

"_Sam." _

"_Whose body are you riding, Ruby?" I asked, thinking about all the people we'd managed to help in the last month by exorcising them of the demons that had been riding them hard, almost like they wanted to break them._

"_What do you care? You've never asked me that before," Ruby said._

"_I'm asking now."_

"_Some secretary," she said with a slight sigh._

"_Let her go."_

"_Sam…"_

"_Or I send you right back to Hell," I said._

"You would have exorcised her?" Beth asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, I was pissed, she'd just told me nothing could save Dean, so what was I keeping her around for? I'd just left you, and I know you think I did it without so much as a second thought, but that's not true Beth. You're my big sister, I love you, and leaving you in that chapel was the hardest thing I'd ever done." I said quietly and I saw tears shimmer in her eyes as she rolled back on to her side to watch me.

"Well, whatever, clearly you stuck it out with Ruby?" Dean cut in and I nodded.

"Yeah, I dumped her on the side of the road, and I find this abandoned house to stay in. I called Beth but she had her phone off, so I figured I'd try again in the morning. In the meantime, I'm cleaning my guns, drinking profusely, and trying to nut out a new course of action. Then there's a knock on the door, and I'm confused, not expecting anyone…"

_I opened the door and standing there in front of me was a short woman sporting a tan and long black hair, holding a piece of paper._

"_Proof!" She declared, handing the paper to me. "This body is 100% socially conscious. I recycle. Al Gore would be proud," she said sarcastically, pushing her way into the hallway. _

"_You grabbed a coma patient?" I asked, reading over the paperwork and realising it was Ruby talking to me._

"_You didn't want me to take a body with someone in it, and I made sure that the spirit was gone," Ruby said, walking down toward the living area. "Apartment was empty. You happy?"_

"_Why are you here?" I asked, still confused as to what she wanted from me._

"_I can't bring Dean back. But I can get you something else that you want," Ruby said, turning to face me._

"_And, uh…what's that?" I asked. Dean was the only thing I wanted right now._

"_Lilith."_

_My heart skipped a beat when she said that. If we could get to Lilith, we could kill her, maybe bargain with her to release Dean if we agreed to spare her life. But it was clear what I'd have to do in order to run that kind of deal. I'd been giving it a lot of thought actually._

"_You want me to use my psychic whatever," I said, cautious._

"_Look, I know that it spooks you…"_

"_Skip the speech," I cut in, much to her surprise. "I'm ready. Let's go."_

"_Slow down there cowboy," Ruby said, her eyes suddenly concerned._

"_Just tell me what I have to do," I said. I was ready, it was time, and maybe this is what I'd been looking for all along. Someone to tell me it was okay to give in to these powers, to use them to help me for once in my life. Beth would never agree, she was just as annoying as Dean on that front, but she wasn't here anymore – maybe it was a sign._

"_Look, Lilith is one scary bitch. When I was in the Pit, there was talk. She's cooking up something big – apocalyptic big," Ruby said._

"_So let's kill her."_

"_You want to go in there and half-ass it like before?" Ruby asked, shaking her head. "We have the time to get it right. Let's get it right."_

"_Okay," I agreed. "What do you want from me?"_

"_Well," Ruby said, eyeing me off. "A little patience…" I scoffed at her. "And sobriety." She said this as I took a swig from the whiskey bottle in my hand._

"_Promise me that…and I will teach you everything I know."_

"So what did she teach you?" Dean asked, watching me intently, wrapped up in the story. He was softly stroking along Beth's forehead as she lay in his lap and I saw her eyes fluttering with exhaustion. The pain and alcohol finally getting to her, she fell asleep with a whimper.

"Well," I said, raising my eyebrow as sighing. "First thing I learned…I'm a crappy student."

_The demon in front of me was infuriating. The only light was from the fireplace, and it was playing with my mind, the shadows jumping across us. I turned my attention to the man in front of me, tied to a chair inside a devil's trap. I pulled on my power within, focusing on hooking in to the demon inside, but each time I tried to pull the creature, I'd only get so far. The black smoke of the demon would come out of the mouth for a small distance, and then it would go back in as I felt it slipping through my fingers, like water._

_The second time the smoke went back in the demon laughed loudly at me, just adding insult to injury. I grabbed at my head as it started to split with pain. This was killing me. Ruby scowled and walked up to the demon, stabbing him in the stomach._

"_Not funny," she said, watching as he died right in front of her. She turned to look at me as I struggled, fighting back the pain. _

_A short while later I'd buried the body out back, and was starting to thinking too much about the bottle of whiskey on the table. Ruby was hovering inside, watching me as I popped a couple of aspirin out of a bottle and washed it down with the whiskey._

"_Just give it time, Sam. It'll get better."_

"_What? I need more practice?" I asked, scowling at her._

"_I'm not talking about pulling demons," she said as I glanced at my phone. There was a new message there, telling me I had another voicemail. I knew without checking who it was from: Beth. She'd been calling every couple of days, but I couldn't talk to her. She'd read it in my voice and insist on coming to me, helping. I had to do this without her, to keep her safe. _

"_I know losing Dean was – " _

"_Hey!" I said loudly, pointing Ruby and interrupting her mid-sentence. "I don't want to talk about it. You know what? Where do you get off slapping me with that greeting-card, time-heals crap? Did you see Beth in that church? What the Hell do you know?"_

_Ruby sucked in a breath, a shadow flicking behind her eyes as she looked at me. "I used to be human. And I still remember what it feels like to lose someone," she said. "I'm sorry." She stepped up, putting a hand on my shoulder and that was starting to feel just a little too comfortable._

"_Uhn-huh, don't." I said, pushing her hand away. It felt too good. "I can't…" I said, looking at her._

"_Sam, you're not alone," Ruby said, and before I could stop her she grabbed my head, pulling herself up to my face and kissing me hard. I reached up, wanting to run my hands through her long black hair, wanting to give in. Instead I pushed her back, standing up and walking away, shaking my head. I couldn't, it wasn't right, she was a demon!_

"_What are you doing?" I asked, stalking into the next room and sitting down on a couch._

"_Sam, it's okay!" Ruby said, turning to me._

"_No, that is anything but okay!" I snapped at her._

"_What's wrong?" Ruby asked, the pain of rejection in her voice._

"_What's wrong?" I asked angrily. "Where do I start?!"_

_I stared into the dying embers of the fire, shaking my head and fighting against every urge in my body that was telling me just to give in and take what I wanted, to take what she wanted to give me._

"_Is it because of the body?" Ruby asked, walking over and standing in front of me, shrugging out of her jacket. "Because I told you… it's all me inside of here." She knelt in front of me, her hands resting on my knees as she moved in closer, her lips mere inches from mine. "There is no one else."_

_She took my right hand and pressed it against her stomach, sliding it over her hip. "And it's nice inside this body, Sam. Soft and warm…" I sucked in a breath, trying to fight it, shaking my head – but she felt so good, so warm, and I just wanted to touch her._

"_What are you doing?" I asked instead._

"_Isn't it because you're really scared to go there with a demon?" She asked, pressing in against me. I could feel her breasts as they rubbed against my chest, and her breath was hot on my neck as she nuzzled into my neck. "Because it's wrong and it's bad and we shouldn't?" _

_I groaned, pulling away but she moved my hands along her skin again and I gave in, it had been so long since I'd known any comfort, and I really needed her now. I moaned, grabbing her head and holding it still as my lips found hers, kissing her with a frenzy. I was still trying to fight it, yet my body was giving in to it at the same time, I'd never been so conflicted in my life._

_Lifting her from her knees, I easily slid Ruby onto my lap, grinding her against my already hardening erection. I groaned, thrusting up at her slightly as she slid her arms around me. I slid my hands into her hair as she kissed me back. With a gasp for breath, she broke away, and I peeled away her top, releasing her soft, perky breasts from underneath. She hadn't been wearing a bra, and this knowledge made my arousal grow even harder._

_Ruby stripped me of my own t-shirt as I grabbed a fistful of hair, pulling her head back so I could kiss her neck. I gasped with pleasure as she ripped her nails down my back; the pain felt good, like I needed it with the pleasure. Within minutes I had her out of her trousers, and she slid my pants down, freeing my hard erection. As I watched, her eyes darkened with desire and she plunged down on me, impaling herself…._

"Sam?" Dean's voice startled me back to the present.

"Yeah?"

"Too much information," he said with a frown. I looked down and noticed he'd covered Beth's ear with his hand, even though she was sleeping soundly at this point.

"Hey, I told you I was coming clean," I said to him, trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, but now I feel dirty," Dean muttered, shaking his head and taking a sip of the whiskey he had in hand.

"Dean, I can't tell you how many times I've walked in on you two, or woken up to one of your midnight romps… and you're feeling dirty just listening?"

"That's different," Dean said.

"How?"

"Well… we're uh… we're married, yeah. And Beth's not a demon," Dean answered. I raised my eyebrow, shaking my head at him. The truth was, at the end of the day, the difference was that it wasn't him walking in on me. Never let it be said that my brother didn't have double standards.

"Okay, well, uh, brain-stabbing imagery aside... So far, all you've told me about is a manipulative bitch who, uh, screwed you, played mind games with you, and did everything in the book to get you to go bad, including ignoring Beth who was reaching out to you man."

"Yeah, well, there's more to the story," I said, smarting a little at the Beth comment.

"Just…skip the nudity, please," Dean said, shaking his head.

I paused, rolling my eyes, but thinking I could just leave him hanging – however this was my story and one that obviously Beth hadn't told him, not that she knew all of it.

"Pretty soon after... that, um... I put together some signs... Omens."

"Saying what?"

"Lilith was in town. And I wanted to strike her first."

_Ruby was following me around the house as I prepared, shoving all my demon-hunting supplies into the weapons bag. _

"_You're not ready," she stated and I turned, looking at her._

"_It's now or never."_

"_No, we gotta wait until you get it right. You haven't been too successful."_

_I pulled the knife out of the bag, brandishing it in front of her. "All right, I'll use this."_

"_Stop." Ruby said, grabbing my wrist and looking up at me with troubled dark eyes. "You can't just fly in there reckless, Sam. We need you to take the bitch out."_

"_Oh, I'll take her out all right," I sneered, I was angry and I was ready, this was going down._

"_You get one shot, and you're it," Ruby said, releasing my hand with a jerk. "You're the only one who can do it, Sam. So if she kills you first…" I smirked at that comment, looking away and then back at her. Ruby stopped speaking, observing my face._

"_What?" I asked when she stared at me, no longer speaking._

"_You don't want to survive this."_

"_Come on," I scoffed. Truth was, she was right. I was still smarting from the way I'd hurt Beth when she'd walked in on us one night. I'd been in the middle of having sex with Ruby, but Beth hadn't known it was the demon, so I was able to play that down but not before getting so upset with her that I'd said some of the nastiest things I'd ever said. And I'd meant them._

_I was so damn angry with Beth, she'd caught me at a low point and I'd just dug myself even deeper. I replayed in my head some of the things I'd said to her, accusing her of not caring about Dean, saying it was her fault he was in Hell and no longer with us. Just as I thought I wouldn't get any lower I'd swung the final blow where I'd told her she was poison, and she made those around her weak, and I'd said I wished Dad had left her in Wisconsin the day we'd found her. And I damn well meant it. _

_Now that she was gone, I didn't care what happened to her, she could put a bullet through her brain and I was too numb to care, I just wanted my brother back and it wasn't going to happen, so I was doing the next best thing. I was going to take out the bitch who had put him there, and if she killed me in the process, so be it._

"_It's a kamikaze attack," Ruby said, looking at me. "You want to die fighting Lilith."_

"_That's stupid," I denied, but she had hit the nail right on the head. I walked away before she could see it in my eyes, and she chased after me._

"_No, it's the truth, because if you kill her and you survive this, then you have to go on without your brother! You've pushed Beth away, she's gone, and there's nobody left. This isn't what Dean would've wanted. This isn't what he died for," Ruby said, cutting in front of me and pushing her back to the door, blocking the exit. _

"_Get out of my way," I said in a threatening tone to her. She wasn't going to stop me, I didn't care what we'd been doing to each other._

"_No, Sam. This is suicide!" _

_I grabbed her, pushing her against the wall and holding the knife to her throat, watching her eyes. I was in control here, not her, this was my call and I was going after Lilith, ready or not. Ruby didn't fight as I left her gasping against the wall, stalking out the door._

_By the time I reached the house where there had been omens I had calmed down, now my head was clear. I pulled out the knife, and entered the house, seeing the little girl – Lilith – at the dining table. I crept up on her, the knife extended up, ready to be thrust down into the kid when she turned, tears running down her face._

"_Please, I want to go home," she cried and I realised my mistake too late. Two demons grabbed me from behind and I was disarmed, the knife falling to the ground._

"_Lilith sends her regrets," one of them said, getting in my face. "She couldn't make it."_

_Suddenly the other demon called out in surprise and then fell to the ground. I looked to see Ruby had followed me, taking the knife and attacking._

"_Take the girl and run!" Ruby called out as she circled face to face with the other demon, twirling the knife in her hand._

_I nodded, grabbing the girl and leaving by the French doors nearby, running with her to the car. I put her in, and then looked back through the window. Ruby was fighting with the demon, but he'd gotten the upper hand. He was twisting her hand in front of him and with a pained cry she dropped the knife, looking scared. I ran back as hard as I could. I got into the room in time to see him slam Ruby up against the wall._

"_Rhuddem," the demon said with a smirk. "You're in so much trouble. When we get you down in the basement – the things we're gonna do to you." _

_Reaching forth with my hand, I concentrated, pulling on that place inside of me that held my rage, my darkness, the part that held the demon blood circulating through me. The demon coughed, and I focused all my will on the cloud of smoke inside of him, imagining a hook sinking deeply into him and then pulling. Black smoke started to pour out of his mouth as he looked surprised and then fell to the floor, his demonic form being forced into Hell._

_Ruby leaned heavily against the wall, gasping for breath as she looked at me with worry when she saw the blood dripping out of my nose. "Sam."_

"_I'm okay…" I reassured her with a nod. "Thanks."_

I looked up at Dean, something I'd just said sitting wrong with me all of a sudden. I pushed it aside and shook my head. I had to finish what I was saying.

"Ruby came back for me. Whatever you have to say, she saved me. More than that, she got through to me," I said, watching Dean carefully. "What she said to me…it's what you would've said. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here."

Dean scowled, shaking his head. "Yeah, but that's half the problem Sam. You push away the people who want to help you and run into the arms of the enemy."

"Ruby is not…"

"Rhuddem, Sam!" Dean said loudly, glancing down at Beth as she stirred from the sudden noise. He lowered his voice again, looking sternly at me. "That's what you say this demon called her?"

"Yeah."

"You don't recognise that name? You've heard it yelled enough over the years," Dean said and I frowned. I had? What was he talking about? Sure it sounded familiar but…

"Haven't you ever wondered why Ruby was so quick to cut Beth out of your life when I was gone?" Dean asked, and I shrugged. I hadn't, it didn't seem related.

"Rhuddem, Sam. Think harder. There was a reason I told Beth to stay away from that bitch Ruby." Dean sighed, leaning back against the headboard, his hand softly caressing Beth's hair.

"What?" I asked, feeling confused.

Dean moved Beth's head slightly, slipping his legs out from underneath and replacing them with a pillow. She sighed and buried her face in the pillow with a little whimper. I started to stare at her, clearly he was agitated because of this reference, and it had something to do with… I stopped, looking up at him. Beth had called that name out many times in her sleep.

"Yeah, now you're seeing it little brother," Dean said with a nod, standing up and walking over to the sink, placing his empty glass there.

"No…" I said, shaking my head.

"Yeah, that's what I thought too, but it's true."

"Ruby… Ruby is the demon who possessed Beth? Who killed her father?" Sam asked incredulously.

* * *

_**Motel Room**_

**Dean's POV**

I'd just told Sam what I swore I wouldn't tell anyone until I was ready to tell Beth. That Ruby had been the very demon to possess her; not only possess, but stab and kill her father during that time too. Sam was looking at me with horror, and I felt bad that I had to break it to him now that he'd just gotten through telling me he'd been sleeping with Ruby.

"Yeah, and the rest of her family too, from what Jefferson has told me. She's got a serious vendetta going on there." I said in answer to Sam's question.

"Why?" He asked, frowning.

"Like you can believe a word a demon says… but if you do, it had something to do with her selling her soul to save one of Beth's ancestors, and to repay the favour he went self-righteous church-goer on her and burned her at the stake."

"Ouch," Sam said and I nodded.

"Yeah, so for the last six hundred years or so she's been plotting her revenge, taking out the entire bloodline."

"But Ruby, she's helped save Beth…"

"An act, no doubt. I don't trust her, I think given half a chance she'd turn on Beth, and wouldn't hesitate to kill her."

"No, no, Dean, you're wrong."

"She told me herself!" I snapped at him. "As soon as Beth stops being useful she will turn like a rabid dog, and I will not stand by and let her harm Beth!"

"Calm down Dean, that's not going to happen, she's got Anna, sure, but Beth is here with us and she's safe. I just… I can't believe it." Sam said to me and I nodded.

"Yeah I know man, imagine if Beth found out," I said.

"You haven't told her?"

"Does it look like I've told her?!" I snapped and Sam sucked in a breath realising what a stupid question that had been.

"But you guys talk about everything," Sam pointed out.

"Yeah well, not about this, I can't… she doesn't need more stress put upon her. I'll tell her when the time is right."

"Dean… secrets aren't the best thing to keep in this family."

"I know! But look at her man," I said, gesturing to where I'd left her sprawled out on the bed, sleeping with a smile on her face. "We tell her now, she is gonna freak out, and she's been through enough. You know, we're only just getting back to good now, I'm not going to risk taking that away. I don't like it, but Ruby seems to be helping us, for now. But if she so much as _looks _at Beth in the wrong way… I will not hesitate to end her, you understand?"

Sam nodded quietly, thinking this statement over.

There was a sudden knock at the door. "Housekeeping," a woman said from the other side.

"Not now!" I called back.

"Sir, I've got clean towels," she insisted. I sighed and walked over to the door, opening it. A burly black maid in a uniform pushed her way into the room.

"Couldn't you just leave 'em at the door?" I asked, frowning at her as she closed the curtains and walked up to Sam, pressing a note into his hand.

"I'm at this address," she said.

"I'm sorry. What?" Sam asked.

"Go now. Go through the bathroom window, don't stop, don't take your car, don't pass go. There are demons in the hallway and in the parking lot," she said in a sassy booming voice.

"Ruby?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Okay, yes, so I'm possessing this maid for a hot minute. Sue me," she said with attitude and I did have to chuckle at that.

"What about…"

"Coma girl? Slowly rotting on the floor back at the cabin with Anna, so I've got to hurry back. See you when you get there. Go!" Ruby urged before leaving the room like a tornado, closing the door and leaving me standing there with fresh towels in my hands and what had to be the world's most stunned look on my face.

* * *

_**Cabin**_

**Beth's POV**

I was awoken to a throbbing arm and Dean's soft voice urging me to get up. I'd missed all the action while I slept. According to Dean, Ruby had come and possessed a maid in order to pass a message on to us. She was holed up in a cabin with Anna somewhere on the outskirts of town. We climbed out the bathroom window as instructed and made our way through the back alley to a car that was sitting a few blocks over. Dean hot-wired it and we were on our way.

The cabin was a hunting lodge, at this time of year it sat empty and unattended. It was a good choice for a hiding place.

"Glad you could make it," Ruby said as we arrived, letting ourselves in.

"Yeah, thanks," Sam said, nodding at her and walking over to Anna.

"Anna, are you okay?" He asked. The red-head was sitting on a couch and smiled when she saw us.

"Yeah. I think so. Ruby's not like other demons. She saved my life," Anna answered with another smile.

"Yeah, I hear she does that," Dean said, looking at Ruby. "I guess I… you know…"

"What?" Ruby asked, raising her eyebrow and I looked at him curiously.

"I guess I owe you for…Sam. And I just wanted … you know…" Dean looked uncomfortably at his feet and Ruby rolled her eyes.

"Don't strain yourself," she snapped and this seemed to get Dean back to his normal self.

"Okay then. Is the moment over?" He asked, Ruby nodded. "Good, 'cause that was awkward."

"Hey, Beth, do you think it'd be safe to make a quick call, just to tell my parents I'm okay?" Anna asked, looking up at me. "They must be completely freaked."

I felt a coldness settle in my stomach and hurt for the girl in front of me. Sitting down, I looked into those big blue eyes, so trusting and innocent. "Ummm, Anna… about that, your parents…" I found it hard to get the words out.

"What about them?" Anna asked, starting to look worried.

"Look, I'm sorry," I said, biting my lip. I put the message into my eyes, and she got it.

"No, they're not…" Anna shook her head, starting to put it together.

"Anna, I'm sorry," I offered, cringing as Anna burst into tears, rocking forward and holding her head with her hands. I reached out, rubbing her back in large round circles as she sobbed. Dean exchanged a sympathetic look with me and I sighed. I hated this part of the job.

"Why is this happening to me?!" Anna wailed, sitting back up and throwing her hands in the air.

"I don't know," I said softly. She sobbed again, dropping her head into her hands as we all watched, helpless to make her feel better.

Suddenly Anna sat up, gasping, and looking frightened. "They're coming." The lights to the cabin started to flicker and everyone looked around.

"Back room," Dean said to me and I nodded, pulling Anna to her feet and leading us into the room. "Stay there!" Dean called out, and this this I didn't argue. I leaned against the doorframe, listening to the movements in the room beyond. I could hear the others getting weapons, and the cocking of shotguns. I pulled my own gun out from the small of my back, but if these were demons, it wasn't going to do much good.

"Where's the knife?" Ruby asked and there was hesitation on the boys' part.

"Uh…about that," Dean said. There was a pause as Ruby digested what he was saying.

"You're kidding?" Ruby asked disgustedly.

"Hey, don't look at me," Dean said and I could imagine him pointing the finger at our little brother.

"Thanks a lot," Sam said.

"Great. Just peachy. Impeccable timing, guys, really," Ruby complained with a sigh.

I opened the door a crack, just in time to see the door to the cabin burst open. A blast of air swept into the room, and the guys and Ruby flinched as it hit them, then turned back to the open door. I felt a familiar presence and wasn't surprised to see Castiel walk in through the door, followed closely by Uriel.

"Please tell me you're here to help. We've been having demon issues all day," Dean said to Cas, who was looking around the room, his eyes wide and determined.

"Well, I can see that. You want to explain why you have that _stain _in the room?" Uriel asked, looking at Ruby.

"We're here for Anna," Cas said before anyone could answer Uriel.

"Here for her like…here for her?" Dean asked.

"Stop talking," Uriel ordered him and I felt a chill go down my spine. I recalled Uriel's conversation from the woods about how he would like nothing more than to kill us all, and I knew it was dangerous to piss off this angel. "Give her to us." Uriel said.

"Are you gonna help her?" Sam asked.

Castiel looked beyond Dean to meet my eyes from where I was hiding. It was dark, and a lesser being wouldn't have even known I was there, but this was no ordinary person, this was an angel, and one I was bonded to no less. He would have known I was there even with the door shut.

"No," Cas replied to Sam, still watching me. "She has to die."

**~ To Be Continued ~**

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**

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Song for this chapter is: _Forgive Me _by Group 1 Crew. One of my favourites! I love scripture put into modern music, it's awesome.

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Big thanks to everyone who reviewed or PM'ed last chapter, I really do appreciate it, and I will be getting around to responding to you individually if I haven't already, I've just been flat out with work and all my spare time has been simply put into this chapter. Just know that I love and cherish all your comments and they inspire me to keep writing xoxo

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I am hoping to get the next update out fairly fast, but I am swamped at the moment, so I don't know how that will go. You might like to check out _Highway to Hell- Faith, _and _Hell To Pay – Malleus Maleficarum _and _To Hell & Back – Dark Places _ as background to some of this story too, plus, they're just fun reads to go over again

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Please make my day and leave a review.


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